Allied Artists of America

Stolen People of Stolen Land are NOT Illegal!, Oil on canvas, "36x30"

​ Founded in 1914 in New York City, the Allied Artists of America (AAA) is a major non-profit art society dedicated to the advancement of contemporary American art. It hosts prestigious annual juried exhibitions featuring hundreds of paintings and sculptures from artists worldwide.This year was my third time being excepted in four years! I am honored to have my work among some of the most outstanding artists in the world!
The exhibit is on view on alliedartistsofamerica.org and ShowSubmit from May 15th 2026 til May 15th 2028.
​Please visit to see all the works. 
The acceptance of this piece, considering it's political nature, heightens my respect for this venerable organization. I say this considering how many institutions are caving in to the pressures of this administration to stiffle creative expressions in opposition to its views on immigration and ther social/political issues.
Nina Simone famously defined an artist's duty as reflecting the times and situations they live in, viewing it as a personal responsibility to use art for activism rather than mere entertainment. She believed that in desperate times, involvement in social change is unavoidable for an artist, making art a powerful tool for addressing inequality.
Toni Morrison viewed art not as a detached, decorative luxury, but as a dangerous, essential, and inherently political force that tells the truth and fosters liberation. She famously asserted that "all good art is political," arguing that art either upholds or challenges existing power structures and, therefore, cannot be neutral.
Charles White, one my early influences, viewed art as an essential weapon in the struggle for liberation. He believed the artist had a profound social responsibility to fight oppression, make their work accessible to "ordinary people", and use art as an integral tool to challenge injustice and educate communities.
This has been my focus since I was 19 years old, having come of age in Mississippi during the Civil Rights and Viet Nam eras.
This Blog was made possible through a SOUTHARTS Readiness, Relief, Recovery grant

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