Poet, artist, and Coaching Project for a Better World Project Manager,  Ashley Richardson, believes all art has immediate social, political, and cultural power. She also believes in using this power to spark conversation and catalyze change. With help from team members, and funding through ACW’s Coaching Project for a Better World, Richardson will create an art exhibit for the greater Twin Cities area tentatively titled, “Blood on The Pavement.”

The exhibit, scheduled to open May 2022, is seeking artists to collaborate with and feature.

Those interested in exhibiting with “Blood on the Pavement,” or learning more about this project, can email richardson.exhibits@gmail.com.
“Blood on The Pavement” will focus on addressing violence against black bodies, both verbally and physically, from microaggressions to police brutality. However, in its early stages, there is still room to be surprised. A believer that art should never end where it began, Richardson is open to exploring other meanings behind the phrase “blood on the pavement,” with a particular interest in violence against women’s bodies and marginalized communities. Through collaboration with her ACW team and potential exhibiting artists, Richardson hopes to see this project unfold in unexpected new ways.

For this project, Richardson will write a series of 5 to 10 poems exploring the social injustices mentioned above and asks that artists use these poems as a jumping-off point for their artwork. Please note there is no “correct” interpretation of the poems. Richardson is solely interested that artists create pieces (as they see fit) to express the feelings and thoughts inspired by her words. Artists will receive small stipends to help cover and/or offset the costs of materials, with a possibility for additional payments depending on budgets. Richardson is seeking artists from a range of mediums, i.e. sculpture, painting, mixed media, collage, printmaking, sound, and more.

If you would like to learn more about this project, or have leads on potential venues, please email richardson.exhibits@gmail.com. Artists interested in exhibiting with “Blood on the Pavement” should send 3 to 4 sample pieces, along with a brief (4 to 5 sentences) statement of interest by November 1, 2021.