2014 – 2022
Michelada Think Tank is a group of agitators for cultural equity. They are socially conscious artists, educators, and activists of color engaging with other people of color and allies who are interested in creative ways of making change happen. Michelada Think Tank facilitates conversations and builds community around issues faced by people of color while promoting action beyond the discussion.
Michelada Think Tank grew out of the Open Engagement Tally, an intervention in which a group of artists distributed a postcard listing the racial demographics of presenters at the 2014 Open Engagement conference for socially engaged artists in Queens, NY. The demographics of the presenters reflected existing racial disparities in higher education, museum attendance, and the art world at large. As a response, the artists who initiated the OE Tally convened Michelada Think Tank, a loose network of artists, culture workers, and community organizers interested in the relationship between art and social change. Michelada Think Tank held its first discussion event at the 18th Street Arts Center Open Studios Tour in July 2014, in which participants were asked to respond to the question, “How can people of color who are interested in creative ways of making change happen support each other within a context of low representation in traditional or ‘official’ art contexts?”.
From our inception in 2014 to February 2020, approximately 3,000 people have participated in 35+ think tanks, public events, and interactive installations.
More info: micheladathinktank.com
