“The Revolution Shanty”, 2017-2018

Wooden Shanty, Plastic roofing material, Wood, Paint, Paper, Newspaper, Glue, Modge podge, PVC, Matte Board, Packing Tape, Pictures, Collages. Interviews, Poetry, White Boards, iPads

6 x 10 x 10 ft Shanty, and 5 x 10 spinning triptych stands

The Revolution Shanty was a collaborative project for the Minnesota Art Shanty Projects created by an art and creative writing course called Revolution 180 at Southwest Senior High School in Minneapolis. The goal of the Revolution Shanty was to discuss all types of revolutions, from personal to social revolutions. The exterior of the shanty exemplifies this, inspired by the Standing Rock protests the painted and collaged imagery wrapped around the outside depicts the climate crisis, environmental cycle, and pollution. The power fist on the door represents our solidarity with social revolutions like Standing Rock, Black Lives Matter, and the MeToo. Connected to both sides of the shanty are two stands made of wood and PVC, which showcase 20 spinning triptychs on each side. The triptychs showcased interviews and art about Minnesota revolutionaries that were chosen and interviewed by the students. On the inside of the Shanty, personal revolutions were highlighted. Around the perimeter of the inside, pictures of the students holding poetry that they had written about their personal revolutions were featured on the walls. On the inside of the shanty visitors were encouraged to write a poem on a whiteboard about their personal revolutions and take a picture on the iPad to become a part of the shanty.