Museum Exhibit: Art Activism

Basia Jaworska parents’ stories of fighting Fascism in Europe during WWII raised her consciousness as a young girl. They always said, “Never take your freedom, food, or water for granted.” With the danger of growing inequality and injustice over the past few years, she used her art as a tool for activism. Ms. Jaworska felt an urgency to chronicle the fast moving events crashing, like a car wreck, and piling up on the speedway. The paintings are witness to the crimes committed. As in time of war, they insure we never forget. It was equally important for her to enshrine some pivotal voices responsible in moving the needle ahead on social justice issues.

Poland, known for its poster art, has influenced her style in the exhibits’ collection of poster-like paintings. They are just a fraction of all the crises that have inspired the work. It’s an ongoing series with an endless array of issues to process.

These paintings are exhibited in conjunction with Making Change: Stories of Vineyard Activism, 1820-2020 in the Museum’s Grain Gallery.