Sponsor Dissent through Art Projects & Public Action

lisa claxton is organizing this fundraiser.

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About me: I am an amazing, crafty, queer artist and mom, living in the SF Bay Area. I turned 50 this year and it was a hard turn as I recently lost pretty much everything that made up my life. Divorce, home, my mom, my health, my job. Finding my direction again has been exhausting. But I am here today to share with you that I found it!

As bad as things got for me, I somehow found myself surrounded by amazing people who stood by me. I am very lucky. Now it is my turn to stand by people who need my strength. I cannot look away from the harm being caused by our government. I cannot allow fascist ideology to infiltrate our public institutions.

I come before you now to ask for help with funding my art-based 50th birthday wish: To celebrate my 50th revolution around the sun I pledge to participate in 50 public actions that promote dissent against the Trump Administration and fascism. Read more about my work below. I believe my greatest work in life is before me now.

Project Title: Inspire Resistance

I am slowly building out a website. Right now, I have more ideas than time. As I convert to digital media, I will share much of my work as a free download and my larger work helps supply visual representations in public demonstrations. You can view my documented body of work thus far on Instagram & Facebook . I showcase the art and people of public protest and hope to inspire others to lead bravely with love and joy.

Current Work: Outreach, Engage, Create

Outreach -I "adopt" and organize local neighborhood anti-Trump Administration protests. As homage to those who have held that space before me, I have set a goal of increasing the event participation numbers by ten-fold through public outreach and partnering with local resistance orgs. I then mentor and encourage participants to take ownership of the event management so that each event is supported by a crew of participants.

Additionally, I participate in weekly freeway overpass actions, and attend other events with orgs like Tesla Takedown, 50501, Indivisible, and Bay Resistance activities.

Engage -With a playlist and speaker in tow, I act as a unifier within the movement by greeting protestors, sharing my signs with participants for display, documenting the movement, engaging with cars, giving small tokens of resistance to people passing by, and encouraging everyone to build community and momentum. I also hand out mini symbols of resistance and post public notices of dissent everywhere I go. Protesting and encouraging resistance is a priority for me right now, hopefully it will always be so.

Create -Afterwards, in my studio (living room), I reflect on the difficulties we are all facing as a nation and process through it by making protest posters that reflect the concerns expressed to me at the protests. I work to create simple, colorful messaging that appeals to both the protestors and the viewers. I am learning new skills to create digital art that can be used for striking visual impact.

My funding pitch:

Public protesting isn't for everyone. People have jobs, kids, school, their own forms of resistance, and for many, fear of retribution. If you see the vision of this project your financial support will help fund the costs of materials for the signs, frames, copies of public resistance notices, giveaways, and banners designed to raise public awareness. I will stand up for you and your support will increase the breadth of my work in supporting others to also participate in resistance.

My free giveaway:

I also need co-conspirators. I have several actions in the works for June 14th in Oakland, part protest, part community cheerleader (I have pom-poms). I need volunteers to help with a massive overpass messaging mobilization, plan a welcome wagon for the protesters by making giveaways, thank people for joining the resistance, and of course people to march with! We all feel better when we aren't doing it alone.

Also, I am currently unemployed and am seeking paid work. I am a small business unicorn specializing in Operations, Management & Administration. I am IT savvy, served as Treasurer for the Bead Society of Northern California 501(c)(3) for over a decade, managed Baubles & Beads, an art supply store for 20 years, and I am a pretty amazing artist. I am open to the universe presenting me with opportunity.

Whew, that was a lot. Thanks for reading to the end.

Local street corner protest with a few of my signs.

Overpass visibility messaging. Pom-poms were a nice touch. Our deltoids thank us.

First run of my mini-protests signs. I am now working to digitize designs so they can be downloaded and printed by anyone.

My 1st overpass action. Contact me if you want to be a part of this action. For a single day or as part of weekly resistance! This action can be done anywhere, anytime, there is an organized letter library just waiting for you.