Honestly, if it’s kept someplace where people can avoid and/or block it, I don’t care either way.

But much like the decision fatigue mentioned in Saturday’s class, the constant exposure to politics can be debilitating and can lead to burnout and apathy. There are very few places now where a person can take a step away and rest (which is healthy and lets people be strong enough to fight another day). And yes, it is a privilege to be able to rest. And that means that giving people a space to rest is a political action.

There should be absolutely NO political discussions on Foxsy at all.

I understand where you are coming from, but if you open up the door to that, then, with the political climate down there that would be all that was talked about. Many people cannot art when they are feeling those intense emotions and I believe that the art community should be one place we can all come where the politics isn’t.

We are not in the thick of things up here in Canada. But it very much affects us – especially in Alberta – so, we too live in fear.

Anyway, I do not want to go into specifics at all. I would suggest that if you or anyone else in Foxsy want to vent they should do so by private email. One of my artistic friends that lives in the states emails me every now and then about the situation. Mostly though we try to keep our emails light – I talk about it until she doesn’t want to. I do not know anyone in the art world who allows political discussions onto their art platforms.

Does everyone really want to know, to run the chance that there might be those amongst us who are “for” trump – who are “for” Danielle Smith? Not me that’s for sure.

No I vote we keep our community safe.

No, I think politics should stay out of it because not everything people hear or see is truth. The Media and social media are here to brainwash and destroy. I avoid this. I don’t watch nor read the news because of this and I avoid social media because I don’t want to hear or see rants. Just like atheists don’t want to hear my Christian beliefs, I don’t want to hear political beliefs either. I want a space where we create and connect. Talking politics can bring on more anxiety and frustrations which defeats the purpose of connecting and creating together.

I do see both sides of the coin on this…on the one hand, artists don’t want to publicly identify or support a controversial stance because it could alienate followers and potentially affect their livelihood but on the other hand…is it natural for an artist to be totally silent on issues that have such an effect on humankind at this time? Yes, lots of people need or want to escape from these troubled times and art can provide that but ironically it also puts us in touch with deeper emotions sometimes so what do we do with that deeper emotional state in the face of innocent people being shot in the street? Yeah…my stance in this politically charged environment is pretty obvious and if you came out as a staunch trump supprter, I’d walk…it’s true…so I guess it’s really up to you and what you can live with…potential loss of income, a bunch of nasty comments, feeling emotionally silenced…all tough things to live with. You are definitely not alone on this topic…I’m starting to see several artists I follow step out of the shadows of safe silence while others state outright that they don’t want to stir anything up and just want their community to be about their art and want that separated from controversy…so like I opened with…I get both sides of the coin so I guess the question becomes, what can you live with? This is your group, your community and your rules…I don’t think you can govern how people talk about politics because things are just too polarizing and emotionally charged at this time…so that’s my 2 cents on the topic…😊

I don’t know why this is even being brought up This is an art group It should have nothing to do with politics There are plenty of other groups for those discussions

Personally, If it was front and center and in my face I’d probably not visit the site.

I know, sounds weak. That said, I avoided all news and social media from Friday thru Sunday, and it was very beneficial for my mental health. I checked news for a few minutes this morning, just to check the big picture, and asses whether I feel I have enough resources.

Give people the choice to interface or not would be my suggestion.

I think it is appropriate to allow the artists to share honestly if current events are distressing and impacting them. Not just politics but natural disasters, local catastrophes, and personal trauma or health concerns. Then we in community will be able to offer genuine support as our peers process and heal through reflection, art, and discussion.

This would be different from analyzing current social problems to advocate for a course of action or a political outcome. The leader and moderator should also always be free to share her truth! I think that a question such as “is it okay to spend my time making art while the world is in distress” is a relevant and welcome question.

Personally I don’t foresee that my art will be political, but I would accept and welcome artists who confront society in their work m.

A hard NO! Shelby, Foxsy is a safe place for people to gather in the interest of ART, not politics. For me, a definitive no to having political discussions on the Foxsy website, please.

Politics, especially at the international level, need to be left on only political forums, online, or face-to-face discussion groups. The majority of information that the general populace uses to form their opinions is based on what is read or heard through social media or edited news channels (imho). Should those subscribed here want to discuss politics there are many other venues for them to use. Keep in mind that the best way to make an opinion about politics count is by going out to place your vote in all elections at every level of government. At the end of the day it is your documented vote that counts, not your voiced opinion.

Art has been and will be political, and I think to completely ignore the dehumanization and terror being spread is at best callous and at worst actively aiding in that agenda.

That said, I wholly agree that there does need to be a way for people to not see this as the constant bombardment of bad news negatively affects everyone’s mental health — and I think specific opt-in discussions and threads would be a good balance.

I do also think that what gets labeled “political” these days is…for lack of a better word, problematic. Human rights should not be lumped into the same category as like “how exactly are we getting our funding for accessible transportation.” The latter is something that we can agree to disagree on, the former like……if you don’t understand why we can’t be friends if we have fundamentally opposed views on human rights I don’t even know what to say.

There’s this idea called “the paradox of tolerance,” where, in order to be fair and actually tolerant, intolerance can’t be tolerated. In less like. “I’m repeating the same word a bunch” terms, there is a sort of social contract that intolerant people break when they try to push their intolerance on others that thus excludes them from the tolerance that same social contract promises. Can’t have your cake and eat it, too, type stuff.

I also think trying to fully keep “”political”” topics out of an art space is only going to isolate and marginalize people who need to use art as a way to handle all of the everything going on.

TL;DR: there does need to be a balance between keeping this a soft space and also not allowing for the normalization of hate, and opt-in discussion threads feels like a fair way to handle that.

I live in Minnesota and I am getting all the politics I need or don’t need right now. I don’t want to hear anymore. If you do a forum like you suggested, it will appease both worlds because if you want it you can join the forum and if you don’t you don’t join the forum.

I vote no, keep politics off the forum unless you have a way to control the narrative and actively monitor for hateful, hurtful comments, ready to block or expel someone for violating your community standards. Saying that, I do firmly believe that art IS resistance and there is a place for resistance art. But to keep your sanity, I recommend that if you do allow resistance art, you don’t allow political commentary. For me, art is a way to let go of the fear and anger happening as a result of current events, and to gear myself up for protest and support of democratic institutions in my own community. Think globally, act locally, in other words, but keep your forum as a safe place for all. It’s enough that you’ve acknowledged the issue and asked for our opinions here.

ABSOLUTELY NOT. Let’s make ART not arguments, and that is what bringing politics into this will do. It is inevitable. Please don’t. This should be a place where all ART lovers can come together without fear of reprisal for differing political views. ART and politics have gone hand in hand, but that doesn’t mean it is good. I mean, does FOXSY want to be a political faction or a faction for ART?

I personally feel that politics should not be in our Foxy academy,every day am on TikTok ,because am so tired of it and sick of it .i get upset when I see both parties getting angry ,instead of getting the temperature down .people don’t know how to use their valuable time for art or crafts or even do something fun and constructive.,am an early childhood infant toddler teacher retired ,and I always make sure that kids educate it ,to get them ready for preschool and pre-K and kindergarten.

But today’s kids generation,all do they is social media apps ,or at least put a time of day to be on their devices,even adults like me ,should be on devices on short moments ,sometimes us as humans forget to learn ,forget to journal or write ,or read books ,yes we had many historical on our ancestors during the KKK and so on ,and many people where hurt mentally and physically and emotionally. Am retired now and an ovarian cancer survivor in remission and stable ,all I want is to relax do art ,read and write lettering ,improve art and so on ..I also feel ,that we need. To take a brake ,and focus on art therapy ,I take monthly support groups ,in my cancer community ,because what cancer did to my body ,and sometimes I don’t have choice to get away from health issues that am still dealing with .on weekends I take a me time for homework assignments from Foxy academy to distract myself from what we all see on tv .i also attend church ,as it’s my escape place ,for prayers and comfort..but politics should never be a place for our fun art ,as this is our safe space,and it should be kept sacred and safe ..unless something needs to be,addressed,if any of us broke the rules ,then yes talk about it ,as that we are all in the same page and agreement and understanding

Danette

Shelby,

It’s a no win proposition. You won’t bring anyone together, no one changes their minds in these forums. People will polarize and fuel their anger. There are plenty of places people can go to blow off that anger. Don’t add to the insanity.

This will all pass, then there will be something else. It’s continuous and inevitable. Be the safe place. Be the constructive place. Please don’t loose focus of the purpose here.

Fletcher

Quick disclaimer: words are not my strong suit, so please pardon any weirdnesses in my phrasings.

Normally I’d give a hard NO to politics in this space, however, nothing is normal right now. I think a qualified Yes applies.

Like some of the others have already said, I have zero interest in debating opinions in this space. Yet, at the same time, some very strong feelings are coming up that are difficult to process. For me, art is not an escape from the world; it’s how I deal with it. Learning and practising techniques in the Foxsy space is helping me communicate better with myself and others.

As Shelby points out, artists are important to political movements. They/we record history as it is happening. Caricaturists capture and express complex editorial commentary that might otherwise escape those who aren’t great at reading. They risk persecution, exile, imprisonment and execution for the sake of telling their truth. Art has a massive impact on politics and vice versa, so from that perspective: yes, politics has a place within artistic communities.

But we’re not here for that. This really is a soft spot. This really is an escape from much of what is considered “serious” art. If we wanted to do the “serious” art thing, we’d be attending art history lectures or something. We chose Shelby, Jon, their Foxsy team and this amazing little community they’re building instead.

And now I circle back. The emotions a lot of us are trying to process are impossible to separate from, even when trying to shut them off for an hour of two while splashing paint on paper. I have some very strong opinions, but I don’t think they’re appropriate to share in this space. Talking about how events make me feel is another matter. Fine lines to walk.

I do like the suggestion of a forum space to share projects touching on politics or uncomfortable topics. The opportunity for feedback on the art itself, not the opinions, could be invaluable.

But how to set that up? It sounds as simple as starting a new topic category, but. The actual and emotional time needed to carefully moderate such a space… I have no suggestions. Except a very vague something having to do with art therapy maybe. A guest instructor to help guide those who are interested in using art to get through stuff…? Guh. I don’t know.

Shelby: do what you feel comfortable with. I really appreciate you asking for feedback on this. It’s important. It’s also important that you stick with your vision. Sure, pivot as needed, but don’t try to change the core of what you’re trying to do here. Whatever you, Jon, and the team decide, I will support you.

~ Marquita