Art and Power Vocabulary

Key vocabulary terms and definitions covering political activism, protests, artistic funding, censorship, and the relationship between art and power.

To be politically committed

To be involved in politics.

To demonstrate

To protest against or about something.

A demonstrator

A protester or marcher.

A demonstration

A protest march.

To march / To rally

To take to the street, occupy space, or hold a sit-in.

To stage a protest

To organise a protest.

Banner

A placard or sign, often displaying a slogan, motto, or catchphrase.

To demand

To claim or state a demand or claim.

Vandalism

The act of destroying, wrecking, damaging, or vandalizing property, causing mayhem.

To speak up against something

To oppose or object to something.

Provocative

Inciting someone to do something or provoking a reaction (e.g., a provocative artwork).

To epitomise

To symbolise, represent, or embody something as its epitome.

To rebel

To revolt or resist against something or someone.

To voice one's anger

To vent one's anger at someone or something.

To defy

To resist and refuse to yield, obey, or submit.

To raise awareness of/about

To draw someone's attention to an issue or topic.

A patron

A sponsor or backer who provides patronage or sponsorship to artists.

To endorse

To support, sponsor, or back someone or something politically.

A subsidy

Financial funding or an allocation given to an artist or project (to subsidise).

National Edowment for the Arts (NEA)

A US independent federal agency that funds and promotes artists.

To curtail funding

To cut or reduce financial funding, resulting in cuts or cutbacks under a tight budget.

Censorship

The practice of controlling, limiting, restricting, impeding, or hindering expression.

An impediment

An obstacle or hindrance that impedes or hinders something.

To commission

To officially order or hire an artist to produce a work of art (e.g., an opera or religious paintings).