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eric joselyn/continued from p. 16messages on hand-printed sheets.Like all these artists, Eric found aplace, shoulder to shoulder withothers, helping to shape andbroadcast peoples’ messagesloud and clear. By now, he hasserious street credibility as acommunity-based political artist.As the exhibition makes clear, hehas contributed his artistry andpolitical savvy to countlessprogressive efforts, creating“multiples” (flyers, t-shirts— workthat can be handed up or postedin large numbers) and “highlyvisables” (banners, puppets, andthe like). He aims tochange the world, tomake popularmovements “lookbetter” (adding aesthetics andstyle), and to encourage people tohave fun in the process.These values alsoinfuse his teaching,another way that he“engages with bignumbers of others.” Hehas now spent decades workingwith young people, painting walls,making prints, and teaching inpublic schools. (He currently is theArt Teacher at the two-year-oldFolk Arts Cultural TreasuresCharter School, a project of AsianAmericans United and thePhiladelphia Folklore Project.) Asa teacher in and outside of theclassroom, he democratizes artmaking,making it do-able, fun,and a way for young people andactivists alike to exercise power.And of course, nothing is wasted.Eric uses (and re-uses) materialsat hand— cardboard, wit and will.There are lessons, and politics toeverything.Twenty-some years after heleft Minnesota, Eric hastransferred many of thepolitics, values, and ethics ofeclectic folk arts to Philadelphia’sgritty streets, and to thecommunities among whom hehas made a home. He continuesto produce arts that areaccessible, meant to be used,grounded in freely-sharedknowledge, essential to sustainingmeaningful relationships, aimedat making a better world. In hishands, art continues to advancecollective efforts and alternativeperspectives. In a saner world, inanother time or place, he wouldhave been a village potter, ormade things with cloth, he says.Given these times, his approachto art-making is to use native wit,a keen sense of politics, and astorehouse of traditional arts andexpressions to amplify people’scapacity to speak to one anotherand to be heard. His work remainshuman-scaled, democratic,subversive, and quite literallycommunity-based: his headand hands and skillsare invested in thecapacity, andstruggles, ofcommunities to makepressing andnecessary changes.“What yougot to say?”Exhibition of art byEric JoselynAt the Folklore Project735 S. 50th St.Philadelphia, PAThrough February 10Open 1st Saturdays(10 AM - 1 PM) and byappointment: 215.726.11062006-2007 Winter WIP 19