Table A2 Selected resources for the Art... | Emerald Publishing

Table A2

Selected resources for the Art as Activism Gallery Walk

Type of art	Background information	How does the art raise awareness or create change?	Further reading and Media
Asphalt Art	Asphalt Art is often found in crosswalks or bike lanes in busy metropolitan areas The art is often created by community groups and occasionally schools, incorporating visual elements derived from the culture and heritage of the communities in which it is created	While asphalt art offers a colorful and visually appealing aesthetic, it also serves a much more critical purpose. The use of asphalt art actually decreases the number of car crashes and creates safer conditions for pedestrians and bikers (Schwartz, 2022) The actual creation of asphalt art also brings together communities and makes cities more welcoming	Taking Art to the Streets, Just Look Down - The New York Times Asphalt Art Can Save Lives \| PeopleForBikes Transforming Streets with Asphalt Art for Safer Communities (These resources all include compelling visuals of asphalt art. For the classroom gallery walk, select the image you deem most effective for classroom instruction.)
Plastic Art Installations	Plastic Art Installations may take the form of murals or sculptures and are made of trash and pollution found in the ocean and shorelines	Plastic Art Installations create striking visuals that depict the extent of trash polluting the oceans One group, Washed Ashore, has removed over 60,000 pounds of trash that they then turn into plastic art to raise awareness about how the oceans are being impacted by garbage. They create sculptures in the form of various sea creatures to highlight the life forms affected by plastic pollution (Washed Ashore, n.d.)	*Washed Ashore *(For the classroom gallery walk, “Priscilla the Parrotfish” is highly recommended as a compelling visual example.)
Billboard	Billboards are primarily used to advertise products, services, and companies. However, they are also a public art that is used to raise awareness of important issues	Embracing Our Differences, a Southwest Florida non-profit, hosts an annual art exhibit featuring student-created billboards The billboards feature student-created art paired with a quote. Since 2004, over 693,000 students have participated in the project, creating visuals that promote messages of kindness, compassion, and inclusivity. (Embracing Our Differences, 2025).	Embracing Our Differences Galleries (For the classroom gallery walk, “They All Still Draw” is highly recommended as a compelling visual example.) Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day with an eye on the election \| PBS News) Youth Voices Matter Billboard Project Socio-Political Art is Popping Up on Billboards Across L.A. Here's What They're All About. \| Southland Sessions \| Arts and COVID \| PBS SoCal
Poem	Historically, poetry has been a medium used to raise awareness, mobilize communities, and advocate for change	To reinforce the central theme of art as activism and connect directly to the trade book, integrate the poem Stitch by Stitch (found in the back of Stitch by Stitch: Cleve Jones and the AIDS Memorial Quilt by Rob Sanders) Sanders (2021) notes, “before this book was written, I wrote the below poem about Cleve and the AIDS Memorial Quilt. This poem is woven throughout the text of the book” (p. 24) Sanders' poem helped to raise awareness about the important legacy of Cleve Jones and the impact of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, ultimately inspiring the creation of the book	(For the gallery walk, Sanders' poem, Stitch by Stitch is recommended; however, below is a supplemental resource if teachers wish to further explore the use of poetry as a form of activism) The Power of Verse: Activism through Poetry

Type of art	Background information	How does the art raise awareness or create change?	Further reading and Media
Asphalt Art	Asphalt Art is often found in crosswalks or bike lanes in busy metropolitan areasThe art is often created by community groups and occasionally schools, incorporating visual elements derived from the culture and heritage of the communities in which it is created	While asphalt art offers a colorful and visually appealing aesthetic, it also serves a much more critical purpose. The use of asphalt art actually decreases the number of car crashes and creates safer conditions for pedestrians and bikers (Schwartz, 2022)The actual creation of asphalt art also brings together communities and makes cities more welcoming	Taking Art to the Streets, Just Look Down - The New York TimesAsphalt Art Can Save Lives \| PeopleForBikesTransforming Streets with Asphalt Art for Safer Communities(These resources all include compelling visuals of asphalt art. For the classroom gallery walk, select the image you deem most effective for classroom instruction.)
Plastic Art Installations	Plastic Art Installations may take the form of murals or sculptures and are made of trash and pollution found in the ocean and shorelines	Plastic Art Installations create striking visuals that depict the extent of trash polluting the oceansOne group, Washed Ashore, has removed over 60,000 pounds of trash that they then turn into plastic art to raise awareness about how the oceans are being impacted by garbage. They create sculptures in the form of various sea creatures to highlight the life forms affected by plastic pollution (Washed Ashore, n.d.)	Washed Ashore(For the classroom gallery walk, “Priscilla the Parrotfish” is highly recommended as a compelling visual example.)
Billboard	Billboards are primarily used to advertise products, services, and companies. However, they are also a public art that is used to raise awareness of important issues	Embracing Our Differences, a Southwest Florida non-profit, hosts an annual art exhibit featuring student-created billboardsThe billboards feature student-created art paired with a quote. Since 2004, over 693,000 students have participated in the project, creating visuals that promote messages of kindness, compassion, and inclusivity. (Embracing Our Differences, 2025).	Embracing Our Differences Galleries(For the classroom gallery walk, “They All Still Draw” is highly recommended as a compelling visual example.)Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day with an eye on the election \| PBS News)Youth Voices Matter Billboard ProjectSocio-Political Art is Popping Up on Billboards Across L.A. Here's What They're All About. \| Southland Sessions \| Arts and COVID \| PBS SoCal
Poem	Historically, poetry has been a medium used to raise awareness, mobilize communities, and advocate for change	To reinforce the central theme of art as activism and connect directly to the trade book, integrate the poem Stitch by Stitch (found in the back of Stitch by Stitch: Cleve Jones and the AIDS Memorial Quilt by Rob Sanders)Sanders (2021) notes, “before this book was written, I wrote the below poem about Cleve and the AIDS Memorial Quilt. This poem is woven throughout the text of the book” (p. 24)Sanders' poem helped to raise awareness about the important legacy of Cleve Jones and the impact of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, ultimately inspiring the creation of the book	(For the gallery walk, Sanders' poem, Stitch by Stitch is recommended; however, below is a supplemental resource if teachers wish to further explore the use of poetry as a form of activism)The Power of Verse: Activism through Poetry