The Wide Awakes of 1860 were a grassroots political movement in the United States – a force behind abolition who supported the election of Abraham Lincoln. Through collective action and the dissemination of powerful visuals, texts and songs, the original Wide Awakes allowed people to envision a world in which abolition was possible. On October 3rd of 1860 the Wide Awakes marched in the name of emancipation with massive torchlight parades around the country; all carrying lanterns and clad in oil cloth capes.
Today, the Wide Awakes are an open-source network who radically reimagine the future through creative collaboration. They are a community of voices that welcome the ideas and membership of all as we grow this movement to create a new culture together in pursuit of liberation of mind, body and spirit. Anyone can be a Wideawake!
Wide Awakes Day is celebrated on October 3rd in commemoration of the emancipation parade held in 1860. 21c is proud to partner with Wide Awakes on this day and is holding celebrations across many of our properties. See below for opportunities to join us!
NASHVILLE:
Sunday, October 3
1:00 – 4:00 pm
Gray & Dudley Alleyway
FREE
Wide Awake: An Afternoon of Spoken Word and Art Activism
Join 21c Museum Hotel Nashville for a gathering of merriment, making, and envisioning a positive future! Visual artist Marlos E’van, spoken word artist Cameron Mitchell, and 21c invite you to an afternoon of interactions exploring the ways that art and culture meet activism. The program is held in conjunction with Awakening 2021, a series of global events taking place on October 3 organized by the Wide Awakes, a network of thousands of artists, cultural workers, and activists who radically reimagine the future through creative collaboration.
Marlos E’van will lead a drop-in activity where participants can make their own flags emblazoned with messages of hope, peace, and change.
Cameron Mitchell will host transformational spoken word and trumpet performances that will take place on the hour at 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, and 3:00 pm.
KANSAS CITY:
Saturday, October 2nd and Sunday, October 3rd
Saturday, October 2nd
5:30-7:30pm | Wide Awakes Exhibition Reception
featuring work by Michele Pred, Yvette Molina, Autumn Breon, Mona Cliff, Michelle Hartney, Lisa Marie Thalhammer, Sonié Joi Thompson-Ruffin and Nedra Bonds
During this time, we will have a temporary exhibition featuring the above artists which will be on display at 21c Kansas City until January 2022.
Sunday, October 3rd
11:30am-1:30pm | Cape & Flag Making Workshop with Yvette Molina
1:30-2pm | Wide Awakes Walk | 21c to Ilus W. Davis Park
2-3pm | Wide Awakes Celebration in the Park
Land acknowledgement – Jose Faus or Mona Cliff’s husband
Dancers
Drummers
Radical Love meditation
Poetry by Glenn North
BENTONVILLE and OKLAHOMA CITY:
Friday, October 1st through Sunday, October 3rd
Lyndon Barrois Sr.’s film FOR…FREEDOM will be presented in our Video Gallery
In today’s media and politics, truth and facts often get spun out of control. FOR… FREEDOM is an animated film by Lyndon Barrois that takes inspiration from this concept of “spin,” putting at its center artist Shantell Martin who is caught circling through the landscape until she breaks free – her lines find the shapes of each state in our country. Set to Aja Monet’s poem Sometimes An Artist, this film is a meditation of the important role that art, artists, and everyday Americans play in unifying a torn nation.
Lyndon Barrois Sr., FOR…FREEDOM, 2020
Director and Animator – Lyndon Barrois Sr.
“Somewhere an Artist” – Aja Monet
Drawings – Shantell Martin
Producers – Tanya Selvaratnam and Taylor Block
“Amazing Grace” Composition and Sounds Effect – Willard Hill
“Amazing Grace” French Horn courtesy of Robert Lee Watt and Todd Cochran
LOUISVILLE:
Inspired by Awakening and Wide Awakes, 21c Louisville is proud to partner with Kentucky Refugee Ministries all month long
Beginning Sunday, October 3rd and running each Sunday of the month:
5-6pm in the Lobby Gallery, Free and open to the public
KRM Live at 21c: Tiny Lobby Concert Series, that will feature artists across disciplines who are immigrants, refugees and US-born individuals to celebrate our community’s global musical culture.
All month long:
Poof on Main
Support Kentucky Refugee Ministries through our Cocktail for a Cause program. Simply purchase our featured cocktail, Amore, during the month of October and a portion of proceeds from the cocktail will go directly to KRM. For more information, click here.
