“Our community is so much bigger than what happens at Corporate Pointe.” – Noah Christensen
Antioch University Los Angeles will host the 12th annual Artistic Uprising on November 15, 2019. Students, alumni, faculty, and friends will share their visual and artistic works of art with the community. All donations and proceeds from the sale of the art will help fund the Bridge Program which provides low-income adults with university-level education at no cost.
In honor of 
our Fall 2019 convocation, Antioch LA is partnering with Tongva Nation land and people to support our theme of community. Co-organizers and students in the Undergraduate Studies program Noah Christensen and Brianna Fields spoke briefly about the development and their involvement with the event.
How did you become involved in the Artistic Uprising?
N: “I visited Art Up last year and it was great! Andrea Richards is the faculty sponsor and she is the advisor on the project. I opened my big mouth and said ‘I’d really like to help next year’ and Andrea held me to that. Then I reached out to Brianna because I wanted a co-organizer for the project and luckily she volunteered to help me. “
B: “I had never attended Art Up before, but I was really captivated by the art down all of the hallways and I thought it was something I wanted to be part of. When Noah invited me I was really honored and this year’s theme means a lot to me and so I immediately jumped on. I thought it couldn’t get any better than this.”
What are the roots of the Artistic Uprising and how does that relate to the theme of community?
N: “It has its roots as a fundraiser for the Bridge program and the idea has always been to bring together folks in our community. The theme that we decided this year is community, and as someone who has been a TA in the Bridge program I wanted that to be the central focus. It’s a celebration of the community here at Antioch. It’s so diverse. We have so many amazing individuals in various areas of study and I wanted to bring everyone together. And not to just be community but to do community. We have some experiential art pieces where guests can come make art as part of the event.”
B: “We can add to the vision and have it be a bit more diverse or complex year to year For someone like me who isn’t as involved as Noah would really benefit from an immersive experience like going and helping create art at the event. Being active and supporting others in our wider community, forming bonds and relationships beyond our own class. Noah’s vision really inspired me and I think that’s what we need in this time and place.”
How does the Bridge Program support this year’s theme of community?
N: “The Bridge Program through community building and education is at the heart of our social justice movement as an institution. It’s a way to build community that changes lives for the better. Everyone involved in that program has their lives changed someway and it’s not just students. That’s my model for the Artistic Uprising this year.”
What can you tell us about the Artistic Uprising’s partnership with the Fall Convocation?
N: “Our partnership with the convocation this year is because of our theme of community. Being that the convocation this year is about examining our relationship to indigenous Los Angeles, we thought Art Up would blend well with that message. I think so many of the issues we face in society today are rooted in Colonialism and erasure of indigenous communities. And I think this year Art Up will attempt to examine our relationship as an institution to colonialism. I think art can be a powerful way to reflect and experience who and how we are in relation to our culture, upbringing, thoughts and ideas.
What can visitors expect from Art Up this year?
N: “So much of the planning is still ongoing. We’ve had a really diverse mix of styles, artists, and we’re reaching out to everyone. We are also thinking of reaching out to the wider community in LA, some of the local community colleges. We’ve reached out to West LA and Santa Monica College, different art communities, we want to make space for as many community members we can think of. We will have opportunities for everyone who comes to create while they are visiting and to be involved and not just be spectators. Right now there’s a fresco on campus created by the Bridge program. The facilitator of the Fresco will be back with Bridge at Art Up and they will be overseeing the community engagement pieces at Art UP. “
B: “We definitely have some fun live performances this year that have been confirmed. We definitely have this one professional tango performer, and people who want to dance during her performance are welcome to. She will also be giving a lecture on the history of African tango. The diversity of the music and performances that we have, a jazz pianist or DJ. We will, of course, have plenty of refreshments! We’re trying to get everyone immersed in the art and participating. We want to make space for everyone to be able to form new bonds and relationships together. We want to make it fun!”
N: “Bottom line is we want everyone to have a good time, we want to throw a party and whoever attends can come and relax and have fun on campus. Play is a big part of this, how many other opportunities do you get to play on campus? It’s so much different when everyone can be together outside the classroom.”
When is Art Up taking place?
N: “The event is November 15th from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm on campus.”
