Events
New York, NY
ARC @ CEC ArtsLink
November 6-7, 2025
A two-day gathering focused on building collective support for artists in the US amid persecution, crisis and conflict.
New Orleans, LA
ARC @ National Performance Network 2025 Conference
As The Theater Offensive offered in its rules for fellowship in this era: “No blame. No hatred. Love. Unity. Liberation. Abundance.” With Giselle Byrd, The Theater Offensive; Anjee Helstrup-Alvarez, MACLA; and Julie Trébault, Artists at Risk Connection.
Barcelona - Spain
Cultural Rights Now | MONDIACULT 2025
1 October 2025
ARC will cohost the panel "Cultural Rights Now: Voices at Risk, Access in Action" as part of MONDIACULT 2025. The discussion is in collaboration with EBA — Europe Beyond Access, the Diputació de Barcelona, and the British Council.
Barcelona - Spain
Weaving Cultural Futures | MONDIACULT 2025
29 September 2025
ARC will cohost the side event "Weaving Cultural Futures: Artistic Freedom, Feminist Advocacy, and Local Governance in Action" as part of MONDIACULT 2025. The discussion is in collaboration with the Women X Culture Network, UCLG - United Cities and Local Governments, and the Institut de Cultura, Ajuntament de Barcelona.
Baltimore - USA
ARC @ 2025 National Museum Publishing Seminar
29 June - 1 July 2025
ARC will participate in the panel "Publishing Without Fear or Favor: Maintaining Trust with Authors, Artists, and Audiences" to reflect on how museums can remain spaces for healthy debate and learning.
Artist
stories
Stories of at-risk artists from all over the world who are committed to protecting their right to freedom of expression and using their art to fight for justice.
India
Leena Manimekalai
Sudan
Osman Obaid
Russia
Zhenya Berkovich
Nicaragua
Ludwing Gómez
China
Rahima Mahmut
Palestine
Shareef Sarhan
Videos
NYMM Music, Freedom, and Global Lessons to Confront National Challenges
Podcasts
“I just keep running forward—I can’t afford therapy, so I just forbid myself from dwelling on the idea of returning home or feeling nostalgic.” — Mikhail Gulin, Belarusian conceptual artist, curator, actionist, and The Art of Resistance participant.
The Art of Resistance, an ARC digital exhibition, is a moving testament to the power of creative defiance in the face of authoritarianism. It brings together 13 visual artists from Russia and Belarus who have mobilized to oppose the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and to advocate for peace.
See Mikhail’s striking work and read his testimony: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/exhibition/mikhail-gulin-exhibition/
@michailgulin #ArtistsAgainstTheWar #artivism #TheArtofResistance
“I just keep running forward—I can’t afford therapy, so I just forbid myself from dwelling on the idea of returning home or feeling nostalgic.” — Mikhail Gulin, Belarusian conceptual artist, curator, actionist, and The Art of Resistance participant.
The Art of Resistance, an ARC digital exhibition, is a moving testament to the power of creative defiance in the face of authoritarianism. It brings together 13 visual artists from Russia and Belarus who have mobilized to oppose the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and to advocate for peace.
See Mikhail’s striking work and read his testimony: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/exhibition/mikhail-gulin-exhibition/
@michailgulin #ArtistsAgainstTheWar #artivism #TheArtofResistance
Earlier this month, ARC’s Executive Director Julie Trébault spoke with The New York Times, where she discussed the growing threats of ideologically based funding cuts and censorship facing U.S. museums.
“This is authoritarian playbook 101: controlling the narrative, reshaping history, silencing marginalized communities.”
At ARC, we stand with museums and cultural institutions defending the freedom to tell complex, inclusive, and challenging histories — free from political interference.
🔗 Read the full article in The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/arts/design/museums-trump-funding-cuts.html
@nytimes #museumsmatter #artisticfreedom #academicfreedom
Earlier this month, ARC’s Executive Director Julie Trébault spoke with The New York Times, where she discussed the growing threats of ideologically based funding cuts and censorship facing U.S. museums.
“This is authoritarian playbook 101: controlling the narrative, reshaping history, silencing marginalized communities.”
At ARC, we stand with museums and cultural institutions defending the freedom to tell complex, inclusive, and challenging histories — free from political interference.
🔗 Read the full article in The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/arts/design/museums-trump-funding-cuts.html
@nytimes #museumsmatter #artisticfreedom #academicfreedom
🎨 On #InternationalArtistDay 2025, we celebrate artists who spark change—from the US, to Guatemala, Iran, Uganda, Myanmar, and beyond.
“It was like a ball of dust, and you could see nothing. And then the dust cleared, with slippers, robes, and blood on the street. That was the moment when I realized: I don’t think that’s supposed to happen. I don’t think that’s supposed to happen in a country.”
Bart, a Burmese visual artist, rose to prominence for publishing a viral digital art series, Seeing Red, which depicted his live reactions to Myanmar’s Spring Revolution—the mass demonstrations following the brutal February 2021 military coup. By day, he joined protesters on the streets, handing out posters and flyers; by night, he drew and painted. Today, Bart continues his socially-engaged creative work while living in exile.
Read his story: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/artist-voice/bart-was-not-here/
Image credit: Omen: Part 1, Image courtesy of the artist
#Myanmar #ArtistSpotlight @bart_was_not_here
🎨 On #InternationalArtistDay 2025, we celebrate artists who spark change—from the US, to Guatemala, Iran, Uganda, Myanmar, and beyond.
“It was like a ball of dust, and you could see nothing. And then the dust cleared, with slippers, robes, and blood on the street. That was the moment when I realized: I don’t think that’s supposed to happen. I don’t think that’s supposed to happen in a country.”
Bart, a Burmese visual artist, rose to prominence for publishing a viral digital art series, Seeing Red, which depicted his live reactions to Myanmar’s Spring Revolution—the mass demonstrations following the brutal February 2021 military coup. By day, he joined protesters on the streets, handing out posters and flyers; by night, he drew and painted. Today, Bart continues his socially-engaged creative work while living in exile.
Read his story: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/artist-voice/bart-was-not-here/
Image credit: Omen: Part 1, Image courtesy of the artist
#Myanmar #ArtistSpotlight @bart_was_not_here
Only TWO days left to see Don’t Look Now: A Defense of Free Expression — a powerful exhibition in New York organized by @artatatimelikethis!
Bringing together 24 contemporary artists whose work has been censored or blacklisted — including Marilyn Minter, Shepard Fairey, and Dread Scott — the show confronts the urgent threats to artistic freedom in the US and around the world.
✨ ARC previously featured Dread Scott in one of our Artist Stories. Read more about his courageous work here:
artistsatriskconnection.org/safety-guide-profile/dread-scott
Learn more about the exhibition:
🎨 artatatimelikethis.com/dont-look-now
🗓️ On view through October 25
📍 127 Elizabeth St., Nolita, NYC
Free expression is a human right. Stand with artists at risk — see the show before it closes!
#artistsatrisk #freeexpression #DontLookNow #nycart #ArtAtATimeLikeThis #humanrights #artisticfreedom @dreadscottart
Image credit: “Goddam” (2022) by Dread Scott. Image courtesy of the artist.
Only TWO days left to see Don’t Look Now: A Defense of Free Expression — a powerful exhibition in New York organized by @artatatimelikethis!
Bringing together 24 contemporary artists whose work has been censored or blacklisted — including Marilyn Minter, Shepard Fairey, and Dread Scott — the show confronts the urgent threats to artistic freedom in the US and around the world.
✨ ARC previously featured Dread Scott in one of our Artist Stories. Read more about his courageous work here:
artistsatriskconnection.org/safety-guide-profile/dread-scott
Learn more about the exhibition:
🎨 artatatimelikethis.com/dont-look-now
🗓️ On view through October 25
📍 127 Elizabeth St., Nolita, NYC
Free expression is a human right. Stand with artists at risk — see the show before it closes!
#artistsatrisk #freeexpression #DontLookNow #nycart #ArtAtATimeLikeThis #humanrights #artisticfreedom @dreadscottart
Image credit: “Goddam” (2022) by Dread Scott. Image courtesy of the artist.
"They can send whatever messages they want, but I’m going to keep on doing what I do...I want to inspire other Saudi artists. I want to inspire the younger generations to do what they believe they were put on this earth to do.” — Ms. Saffaa
A multi-talented street artist, activist, and Ph.D. student, Ms. Saffaa’s artwork has empowered and fueled a social movement opposing Saudi Arabia’s male guardianship laws. Since 2012, Saffaa, who maintains partial anonymity to avoid harassment, has used her artwork to amplify the voices of Saudi women and raise visibility about the repressive conditions and restrictions they face.
Read her story: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/artist-voice/ms-saffaa/
Image credit: "I Am My Own Guardian", Image courtesy of the artist.
#saudiartists #IAmMyOwnGuardian #ArtistSpotlight
"They can send whatever messages they want, but I’m going to keep on doing what I do...I want to inspire other Saudi artists. I want to inspire the younger generations to do what they believe they were put on this earth to do.” — Ms. Saffaa
A multi-talented street artist, activist, and Ph.D. student, Ms. Saffaa’s artwork has empowered and fueled a social movement opposing Saudi Arabia’s male guardianship laws. Since 2012, Saffaa, who maintains partial anonymity to avoid harassment, has used her artwork to amplify the voices of Saudi women and raise visibility about the repressive conditions and restrictions they face.
Read her story: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/artist-voice/ms-saffaa/
Image credit: "I Am My Own Guardian", Image courtesy of the artist.
#saudiartists #IAmMyOwnGuardian #ArtistSpotlight
“Our greatest fear is that censorship and self-censorship become so normalized that entire communities lose access to cultural expression that reflects their experiences.”
ARC’s Executive Director Julie Trébault spoke with Le Devoir about the alarming rise of cultural repression in the United States — and why protecting artistic freedom is not optional, but essential.
✊ Culture is a right, not a privilege.
🔗 Full interview (FR): https://www.ledevoir.com/culture/923109/etats-unis-guerres-culturelles
#ArtisticFreedom #FreedomToCreate #CulturalRights #StopCensorship #Censure #FreeCulture #HumanRights
📰 @ledevoir
“Our greatest fear is that censorship and self-censorship become so normalized that entire communities lose access to cultural expression that reflects their experiences.”
ARC’s Executive Director Julie Trébault spoke with Le Devoir about the alarming rise of cultural repression in the United States — and why protecting artistic freedom is not optional, but essential.
✊ Culture is a right, not a privilege.
🔗 Full interview (FR): https://www.ledevoir.com/culture/923109/etats-unis-guerres-culturelles
#ArtisticFreedom #FreedomToCreate #CulturalRights #StopCensorship #Censure #FreeCulture #HumanRights
📰 @ledevoir
ARC is deeply committed to supporting Cuban artists in exile through our Cuban Migrant Artists Resilience Fellowship (CMARF) — a program that provides financial support, training, and global visibility to creatives forced from their homeland but determined to keep creating.
One of our remarkable past fellows is @cymoonv, a Cuban artist in exile. A self-taught digital creator, she explores alternative identities through the lens of self-perception, queerness, and posthuman subjectivities. Her work investigates themes of identity, intimacy, and the imagining of post-natural bodies and worlds.
We are currently seeking a Program Consultant to lead CMARF and help us continue uplifting artists like her.
👉 Apply to the CMARF Program Consultant job call: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/.../consultant-cuban.../
👉 Learn more about the fellowship: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/cuban-migrant-artists-resilience-fellowship/
Image courtesy of the artist.
#cubanartist #ArtisticFreedom #Cuba #SOSCuba #digitalart
ARC is deeply committed to supporting Cuban artists in exile through our Cuban Migrant Artists Resilience Fellowship (CMARF) — a program that provides financial support, training, and global visibility to creatives forced from their homeland but determined to keep creating.
One of our remarkable past fellows is @cymoonv, a Cuban artist in exile. A self-taught digital creator, she explores alternative identities through the lens of self-perception, queerness, and posthuman subjectivities. Her work investigates themes of identity, intimacy, and the imagining of post-natural bodies and worlds.
We are currently seeking a Program Consultant to lead CMARF and help us continue uplifting artists like her.
👉 Apply to the CMARF Program Consultant job call: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/.../consultant-cuban.../
👉 Learn more about the fellowship: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/cuban-migrant-artists-resilience-fellowship/
Image courtesy of the artist.
#cubanartist #ArtisticFreedom #Cuba #SOSCuba #digitalart
📸Take a look at our photos from last week`s plenary session “You Are Not Alone: Safety and Solidarity” as part of the #NPN2025Conference “Stormshaping: Adaptation, Resistance, Imagination” held on Wednesday 8 October in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Featured speakers included:
✨ Giselle Byrd – Executive Director, The Theatre Offensive
✨ Anjee Helstrup Alvarez – Executive Director of MACLA (Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana)
Learn more: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/event/arc-national-performance-network-2025-conference/
@thegisellekristina @anjeearte
📸Take a look at our photos from last week`s plenary session “You Are Not Alone: Safety and Solidarity” as part of the #NPN2025Conference “Stormshaping: Adaptation, Resistance, Imagination” held on Wednesday 8 October in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Featured speakers included:
✨ Giselle Byrd – Executive Director, The Theatre Offensive
✨ Anjee Helstrup Alvarez – Executive Director of MACLA (Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana)
Learn more: https://artistsatriskconnection.org/event/arc-national-performance-network-2025-conference/
@thegisellekristina @anjeearte