In advance of our upcoming dinner in collaboration with Annam MIami, inspired by artist Stuart Sheldon’s For Freedoms billboard project, we wanted to share a little bit more about Stuart’s work.
In October 2018, Stuart crowdfunded a 50-by-15-foot billboard along I-95 that read "HOW WAS SCHOOL TODAY?" in all-caps. The billoard was part of one of the biggest collaborative public art projects in history, the 50 State Initiative.
From The Miami New Times article, against a black background, “the O in "TODAY" is a target, and the question mark bears a drop of blood, juxtaposing gun violence against an everyday ritual of parenthood and turning a common question into something horrific.
In the run-up to November 6, artists across the nation have created and displayed unique billboards, each carrying a message. The initiative was organized by For Freedoms, a nonprofit that uses art to stimulate political discourse.
The message was left up to the artist. Billboards now in place across the country call attention to issues such as immigration, racial inequality, and police violence. When Sheldon was invited to participate, he knew which topic he'd tackle.” (Read more here.)
Stuart raised more than $5,500 for the billboard and it was up throughout the month of October until the 2018 election. While the project may be over, his work around activism hasn’t stopped, leading to other opportunities to tell his story.
Stuart Sheldon Talks For Freedoms at PAMM Town Hall
Sheldon delves deeper into his activist practice and For Freedoms Billboard campaign as part of a Art and Activism town hall discussion on November 7 at PAMM – the night before the Annam dinner – made possible with support from Oolite Arts. Featuring a panel of creative thought leaders including Artist Zoe Buckman, Kathryn Mikesell of The Fountainhead Residency and Studios, and Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, the panel town hall discussion will explore how success is measured in activist art and dig into the practices of some of the nation’s leading activist artists.
Stuart Sheldon Talks For Freedoms at PAMM Town Hall
Perez Art Museum
November 7, 2019 7 - 10 pm
The event is part of PAMM Free Community Night, an event series that happens the first Thursday of each month, when the museum is free and open to the public. To attend the dinner, RSVP here.