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Artists take risks for all of us. Explore a global network that’s ready to help.

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Resource for Artists

Don't Delete Art (DDA)

Artwork by Udæntro, Medium: Photography (self-portraiture). Part of DDA's Virtual Gallery.

ARC, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), Freemuse, and artists Emma Shapiro, Savannah Spirit, and Spencer Tunick, among other key collaborators form Don’t Delete Art (DDA), a project and coalition dedicated to protecting artistic expression online and drawing attention to the damage done when social media companies censor art. 

Don’t Delete Art is a collaboration between artist-activists, art collectors and human rights organizations. It is also a virtual gallery and campaign that has created a comprehensive set of resources and tips for artists to avoid and combat censorship on social media.

The Manifesto

Artwork by Tiffany Cole, ‘Form’ Pastel, Graphite, Charcoal, Oil Stick, Colored Pencil, Acrylic on Wood Panel. Part of DDA's Virtual Gallery.

DDA recently launched the Don’t Delete Art Manifesto, which brings together stakeholders across the arts–artists, curators, critics, art historians, educators, museums, publications, arts nonprofits, students, and patrons–to tell social media companies that there must be greater support of artistic expression on their platforms. The manifesto details DDA’s core mission and is part of a larger campaign to pressure platforms like Facebook and Instagram to bring artists and other arts professionals into the content moderation process.

The Resource

The resource draws from the hard-earned wisdom of artists who have weathered countless post removals, shadow bans and account deletions. It includes specific advice for image pixelation, hashtag selection, contextualizing work and appealing removals.

Founding curator Savannah Spirit has struggled with multiple account removals. As she describes, “It’s a sinking feeling when your art has been deleted. Even worse, you discover you’ve been locked out with no access to your data and network. Without inside help, artists have to start all over again. These pointless takedowns leave artists powerless. Don’t Delete Art helps artists protect their account and maintain control of their online presence.”

In addition to digital resources, Don’t Delete Art also hosts virtual collaborative sessions with artists and advocates.

Events

ALN x DDA 2023 - Artist Censorship in the Digital world

March 9, 2023

Arts Letters & Numbers and Elizabeth Larison and Emma Shapiro from DDA gathered for a live talk to discuss the pressing issue of artist censorship in the digital world.

Navigating Sensitive Content - Panel Discussion with Gareth Harris, Farah Nayeri and Emma Shapiro

September 27, 2022

Gareth Harris, Farah Nayeri and Emma Shapiro discuss sensitive content and censorship in the arts.

How to Avoid Being Censored on Instagram

June 2, 2021

Dina Brodsky, Savannah Spirit, and Spencer Tunick host a Zoom conversation to share advice on how to tag, contextualize, or modify your artwork so it is safe from removal.

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