Show Me the Signs: A Benefit for African American Policy Forum
Artists from Cardi B to David Hockney show up in support of #SayHerName Mothers Network.
Lenny Kravitz with the piece he created for the exhibition and auction, Show Me The Signs.
Over 100 artists have come together for the “Show Me the Signs” exhibition and auction that will directly help the families of Black women killed by the police, a systemic problem that has been glossed over in the United States for far too long. These artists have created powerful pieces in the form of protest signs to fight for change. All of the artists have donated their signs to be auctioned, with 100% of the proceeds going to the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) #SayHerName Mothers Network. Founded by AAPF in December 2014, the #SayHerName campaign works with the mothers and families of Black women, girls, and femmes killed by police, to elevate their stories and fight for justice.
A major exhibition of public art featuring artists’ protests signs from the #ShowMeTheSigns exhibition is presented on more than 90 billboards and digital kiosks across the country including in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, San Antonio, Tempe, and Washington DC. Artists included are: Cardi B, April Bey, Sheila Pree Bright, Elisa Cohen, Mira Dancy, Nick Doyle, Lanise Howard, Pearl C. Hsiung, Bruno Mars, Patrick Martinez, Alessandro Pessoli, Clintel Steed, Glenyse Thompson, Usher and James Jean, Sara VanDerBeek, Didier William, and Saya Woolfalk. The works are on display throughout the month of November with the generous support of Orange Barrel Media to bring awareness to the #SayHerName campaign and the auction.
“Black women and girls do not fit the most accessible frames of anti-Black police violence, and because of that, it’s difficult to tell their stories in a way that people recognize and remember,” said Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw, AAPF executive director and co-founder and founder of Say Her Name. “By working with the families of slain Black women, AAPF’s #SayHerName campaign resists Black women’s invisibility by telling their stories.”
Featuring works by artists across creative industries including April Bey, Cardi B, Jim Carrey, George Condo, Billie Eilish, Aaron Fowler, David Hockney, Rashid Johnson, Bruno Mars, Marilyn Minter, Nancy Rubins, and Nathaniel Mary Quinn, “Show Me the Signs” brings together a diverse and inclusive collective of creative voices that reinforce solidarity and empower love. The auction is hosted on Artfizz, a new online community-driven marketplace for contemporary art, which is offering its platform to support the initiative prior to its official launch later this year. 100% of the funds raised will go directly to the African American Policy Forum to support the #SayHerName campaign. The auction launches for bidding in two parts, with Part 1 running from November 10 to 19, and Part 2 running from November 21 to 30. All of the signs from the auction are on view at Blum & Poe in Los Angeles through November 14. Read the full story on Juxtapoz right here.