156: Why Should Activist Artists & Cultural Organizers Care About Sustainability?

Why does sustainability matter in activist art? When funding cycles are short, residencies are brief, and institutions often treat creative work as temporary or expendable, what does it mean to commit to change that lasts?In this episode of Art Is Change, the sixth in our series on the building blocks of effective community arts practice, Bill Cleveland sits down with two legendary cultural leaders — Leni Sloan and Barbara Schaefer Bacon — to explore sustainability not as longevity for its own sake, but as ethical responsibility. From invisible lineages of community practice to the quiet power of relationships that outlast grants, they examine what truly endures when art engages deeply with communities.Drawing on decades of experience as practitioners, funders, and advocates, this conversation challenges conventional ideas of growth, impact, and institutional survival.asks whether sustainability lies in organizations, practices, relationships, or something more elusive — trust, memory, and the transmission of creative values across generations.If you are an artist, cultural organizer, funder, or community partner grappling with how to build work that matters beyond the life of a project, this episode offers hard-earned wisdom, moral clarity, and a powerful reminder: some forms of change are too important to be temporary.NOTABLE MENTIONS PeopleLenwood “Leni” Sloan – Activist artist, cultural organizer, impresario, and long-time leader in community-based arts practice; featured guest on Art Is Change.Barbara Schaffer Bacon – Former Co-Director of Animating Democracy, a national initiative advancing arts-based civic dialogue and democratic practice.Bill Cleveland – Host of Art Is Change and Director of the Center for the Study of Art and Community, with decades of experience in arts-based community development and cultural organizing.Liz Lerman – Choreographer, civic artist, and thought leader whose work has profoundly shaped community-based and socially engaged dance practice.John O’Neal – Playwright, performer, and cultural organizer; co-founder of the Free Southern Theater and founder of Junebug Productions, a cornerstone of African American community-based theater.M. C. Richards – Poet, potter, educator, and author whose writings on creativity, discipline, and teaching have deeply influenced generations of artists.OrganizationsCenter for the Study of Art and Communit– A national resource supporting artists, organizations, and institutions working at the intersection of art, community, and social change.Animating Democracy– A program of Americans for the...

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