Protest – the Art of Activism

Protest has always been a catalyst for artistic expression. From public dissent to personal resistance, protest art gives voice to injustice, demands change, and documents moments of social reckoning.

Protest: The Art of Activism is a group exhibition centered on the urgent need—not just the desire—to resist systems, policies, and power structures that cause harm. This show exists in direct response to what is happening in America and other places around the world, as people take to the streets to defend bodily autonomy, human rights, immigrant lives, queer and trans existence, racial justice, and collective freedom.

Protest: The Art of Activism

Revolution Is Not a Spectator Sport

Protest has always been a catalyst for artistic expression. From public dissent to personal resistance, protest art gives voice to injustice, demands change, and documents moments of social reckoning.

Protest: The Art of Activism is a group exhibition centered on the urgent need—not just the desire—to resist systems, policies, and power structures that cause harm. This show exists in direct response to what is happening in America and other places around the world, as people take to the streets to defend bodily autonomy, human rights, immigrant lives, queer and trans existence, racial justice, and collective freedom.

We are seeking bold, confrontational, poetic, angry, hopeful, and uncompromising work that engages with protest as both art object and lived action. Protest art is unique because it does not stop at the wall—it moves through bodies, marches, streets, and history. Some works may live as physical objects. Others may only exist because they were carried, chanted, worn, or witnessed.

This exhibition explicitly aligns itself with progressive values and resistance to the current U.S. administration and its policies. This is not a politically neutral show. MAGA need not apply.

What We’re Looking For

We welcome a wide range of interpretations and formats, including but not limited to:

• Original protest signs and banners
  Hand-painted, printed, stitched, wheat-pasted, cardboard, fabric—raw is welcome. These may be displayed on walls or suspended from the ceiling.
• Protest signs intended for use
  Artists and activists participating in the No Kings March on March 28 may submit signs that will be:
  - Exhibited before the march
  - Picked up and carried during the demonstration
  - Returned afterward to be reinstalled for the remainder of the show
  Wear, damage, and evidence of use are not flaws—they’re part of the work.
• Works created specifically for protest
  Pieces designed to be held, worn, distributed, or activated in public space.
• Documentation of protest and resistance
  Photography, video, or mixed media capturing past demonstrations, marches, actions, or moments of collective resistance.
• Fine art with an activist lens
  Painting, drawing, sculpture, fiber, installation, assemblage, or mixed media that confronts power, systems, and injustice.
• Text-based work
  Slogans, demands, manifestos, poetry, repetition, and language as confrontation.
• Works not for sale
  Art from personal or historical collections that exists solely to be seen, witnessed, and shared.
• Prints and multiples
  Affordable editions are strongly encouraged and may be sold separately from original works.

Why This Show Matters

This exhibition is not about passive observation. It is about participation, refusal, visibility, and risk. Protest is not a trend, a brand, or an aesthetic—it is survival, defense, and collective action.

If your work speaks to resistance, if it has been carried through the streets, if it demands to be seen, or if it refuses silence—this show is for you.

Revolution is not a spectator sport.

About Not Shockboxx

Not Shockboxx is an independent, unapologetic art space in Hermosa Beach, CA, known for thought-provoking, often provocative exhibitions that challenge societal norms and spark conversation. Learn more at notshockboxx.com.

Submit up to 10 pieces for consideration.
Each submission must include:

• Title, medium, dimensions, year completed
• High-resolution images (JPEG, PNG, or PDF)
• Short artist statement (100–200 words) explaining how the work fits the theme

Submission fee: $25 (plus $10 for each additional image)
Apply via CallForEntry.com link

• Open to all artists regardless of location, identity, or background.
• All 2D, 3D, mixed media, photography, textiles and digital works accepted.
• Size limit: 10ft x 10ft — works must fit through a small garage door opening.
• All work must be original and available for display during the full run of the exhibit.
• We especially encourage submissions from queer artists, artists of color, and artists with different abilities.