Latest / The Audacity CAT / The Voices of AudacityCAT - Art as Protest
Transcript
- Cynthia A Stancioff: Hello everybody, my name is Cynthia Stancioff and I'm here today with Susan McNeil-Densmore of the Audacity Visual Arts Committee. Do you call it the VAC or? Susan MacNeil-Densmore: We call it the visual arts group, a working group. Cynthia A Stancioff: Okay, okay. ⁓ Great, so I'm really glad you could join us today so you could tell us a little bit about all the fun things you guys have been doing and maybe have planned. ⁓ I think I first met you Susan at the very first ⁓ kayaking, mean, kayak-tion event ⁓ that was for the benefit of Chief Justice Roberts and it was a beautiful day and we were in Port Clyde Harbor and we had all put giant letters on our kayaks and paddled out together. It was a blast. Was that the visual arts group work or was that mostly you or? Susan MacNeil-Densmore: That actually was six or seven months into the workings of the visual arts group, because we had started right from December of 24 when we first were organizing, when James was first organizing. I heard James Cook say the word kayaktivism, which I had never heard before. And it really intrigued me. And I do have a kayak and like to kayak some. and then had learned that justice Chief Justice John Roberts has a summer home off of Port Clyde, which I didn't know. I'm fairly new to the area. So it all came together quite nicely. So I had organized that. And ⁓ the visual arts group, it really was ⁓ not a part of that so much, except that, of course, we share with everyone in Audacity and put out word and many people, we did make many signs that people held on the dock on the wharf. who were not on the water. And so it was an adjunct. Cynthia A Stancioff: ⁓ yeah. Mm hmm. Okay. And so, well, how did the group start? You referred, you referenced that it was way back at the beginning of what? Susan MacNeil-Densmore: Yeah, yeah, it was December of 24. I can't remember, it was word of mouth. I know James Cook, the facilitator and founder of Audacity was concerned that people were anxious and depressed and worried and sitting sort of isolated in their homes and wanted to get people together so that they could support one another and maybe generate some ideas for some action. And so we sat around his kitchen table and he, as the professor that he was, put papers up around the kitchen and said, if you have an idea of something you'd like to do, so we aren't just sitting here stewing. And someone had put up street theater, visual arts, getting involved in politics locally, all kinds of things, and then asked people to sign any sheet that they were interested in participating in. we... had a, I'm not an artist, I'm from a family of artists, but I am not talented at all in that realm, but there are people who are, and so we just started meeting and thinking what can we do? Buttons, actually James has a history of button making, and he had a button making machine, and so buttons really were the first. Cynthia A Stancioff: You mean like campaign buttons, not like button your shirt buttons. Yeah. Yeah, I know. Susan MacNeil-Densmore: Yes, I guess I didn't put any on today. Usually I wear them. ⁓ So yes, so they were two inch buttons. That was the machine that we had. We now have a couple of different size machines so we can make different sized buttons. My favorite one, was we started meeting actually as a workshop in Hope, the Hope Library. There are a couple of Audacity members who volunteer at the Hope Library and When we put out a call for needing space to work, they responded and the Hope Library was willing to have us and it was wonderful. It was during their closed hours and a nice big space and there were at least a half dozen people who showed up and sometimes people would do their own projects and just work separately and then other times we were taking turns at the button machine and taking turns creating, painting our own button designs. One had had my favorite button, which I've now lost. ⁓ It has a white background with a pink heart that says, Donnie loves Vlad, with a Valentine arrow through it, which I thought was creative and different and whatever. And then I have a favorite one that has Trump with his head open and as if you're looking inside, it says, the emperor has no brain. That's my other Cynthia A Stancioff: Hehehehehe Now that's one that I have. Actually, I'd made a sign of that before ⁓ I saw the button, and so I have that one, and I still wear that around quite a lot. So you have ⁓ kept doing buttons all this time, and I've noticed that ⁓ Brew is often handing out little buttons. Does he work on the visual arts group? Susan MacNeil-Densmore: Yeah. ⁓ he, he was very active back. ⁓ so we were at Hope, then I think the, the, ⁓ I don't know whether anyone actually got word, but someone was maybe concerned that, the library might be upset. They saw us as a very left or liberal organization and someone might complain. Anyway, we, decided, so they had asked if we might find another space and we didn't have a budget. So we were just putting out a, does anybody have, you know, a garage and an exercise room that they don't use just any space that we could be in. And Brew and Jennifer did offer their space in Lincolnville after Hope. And we got ⁓ also an offer in Warren and we ended up going with Lincolnville space, which I know for some both Warren and Lincolnville seemed too far away. But anyway, we met in Lincolnville for almost six months, I think. And Brew was very active there because it was near his where he lived. Now he's less active, still, you know, guess we, yeah, absolutely. And my hope right from the beginning had been that it could be an open, a large enough space. if someone was really enthusiastic about one project, they could come and they might be heavily participant for a short period of time. Then, you know, then maybe not for a while, but, but that there could be a flow of people in and out. Cynthia A Stancioff: He's more involved in security now, I think. Yeah. So how many people? Susan MacNeil-Densmore: We do have a core of about six to eight who have been participating right from the get-go and take responsibility. Cynthia A Stancioff: Okay, yeah, I was going to ask you about that. So the ones that have been doing it since the beginning, there, is there a lot of like, true artists involved? Or is it okay to be just like a crafty sort of person and be involved? Susan MacNeil-Densmore: ⁓ yeah, it's okay to be actually not even a crafty person because, but yes, we do have some people who are quite talented artists. And again, I don't know if I guess I shouldn't name them by name, but some who are very good artists and ⁓ one person I think is interesting in particular, she's an artist and does produce a lot. And she doesn't even participate in the workshops only because she works on a Saturday. And so anyway, she hasn't been able to physically come, ⁓ but she a couple of times in hope. Anyway, she shows up once in a while, but contributes a tremendous amount of stuff. ⁓ For example, she did the eagle that was at the last no Kings day. She did a lot of floats. don't know if people remember the mini mocking military parade that we had when Trump was doing his military parade for his birthday. Cynthia A Stancioff: ⁓ nice. ⁓ wait, yeah, can you describe that for a second because I think I know what mean. Susan MacNeil-Densmore: that he was going to have a military parade, which is way too Putiny for me, ⁓ we decided we would mock that by on that same day making tiny ⁓ floats. So we called it the mini mocking military parade. ⁓ And this person had contributed actually quite a few ⁓ floats. So we things like, I forgot. dollies, I guess they're called that the ⁓ you put plants on to wheel them around or to work under your car. So we found dollies to mount these on and and put a rope out front so that people could pull them down the sidewalk because they were you know, many of some of them were only a foot or two high. ⁓ Anyway, so that the small was obviously an important aspect and then they were all ridiculing. mean, Trump gives us tons of fodder on a daily basis to use for humor. Cynthia A Stancioff: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Really? Susan MacNeil-Densmore: But my favorite one was my husband and I we happened to have an extra toilet seat so we attached that to a hand truck and I put some blue fabric in the opening and we made a sign that said Gulf of Rump with the small T in front for Gulf of Trump with it and and then my son had given me a toilet brush that went is a Trump with you the bristles are the bright orange hair and it's got a picture. So anyway, so we attached the toilet brush to the toilet seat and he wheeled that down the sidewalk as our contribution to the parade, which a lot of kids at Chapman Park that day loved getting out the brush and pretending to clean the toilet. I think it's the only time, and the only way people can get joy out of cleaning their toilet is with a Trump brush. Cynthia A Stancioff: Perfect. ⁓ my gosh, that's a marketing idea. Yeah, you know? ⁓ So you say you're not ⁓ artistic, but I mean, think creative is like a real big important part of this. And you seem to be extremely creative. Like, do you have a background in anything that's like to do with creativity or what's your? Susan MacNeil-Densmore: Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ Well, as I say, I do come from a family of designers, interior decorators, architects, and watercolors, and sculptors. Yeah, everyone in my family. I guess I got my dad's genes. My dad is an athlete, and I am more a physical person than a visual or whatever. So I certainly, ⁓ my husband says we don't have a spare inch of wall space because we've got family art everywhere in the home. Cynthia A Stancioff: Okay. ⁓ that's great. That's great. Susan MacNeil-Densmore: But yes, we do value it's the imagination and the creativity. And if someone has an idea, as James said, know, go for it. Just, you know, if your idea is good, people will join you and otherwise you do it alone. know, so we evolve. It's quite a it's quite a productive group. We really have done well. Cynthia A Stancioff: And do you guys have fun at your gatherings of creativity? Susan MacNeil-Densmore: ⁓ yeah, ⁓ yeah, not only fun in coming up with ideas and executing them, but also rousing each other and everybody wants to be in charge, but nobody is. We really try to run it as equality for everybody and we'll all chip in. And so, as I say, sometimes people just have a sign, they want to do a sign and they do it. Other times we're doing a project where we're all contributing and, ⁓ how about doing it this way? How about that way? And just. So it's constant. Cynthia A Stancioff: No. And have things evolved over time or you guys just been in the moment from the get-go and just like responding to what's happening at this moment in the Trump crisis? Like in other words, have you, I don't know, have your workings changed at all or is it a stable, do you feel like it's stable or is it going somewhere, this group? Susan MacNeil-Densmore: Yeah. Well, I think we have a very stable presence in that every Saturday we bring out the tub. We have a huge sign library, a lending library of signs that I'm always amazed to see that the St. Oupid that we made, you know, over a year ago, people still pick it out of the bin and use it. That's the Trump as the patron saint of economic collapse, you know, just that there are because there are themes that have run for the, know, since 2016, let alone, you know, since this ⁓ term. So, you know, we started out pretty much just buttons and signs, but we've done, you know, chalkedivism and we had the decorations for the parade for no kings. We made street those streamers that we had and we handed out American flags and we always have the crowns, the paper crowns that we have someone who specializes in that and provides that. And we've just come up with a new idea or an idea for this coming weekend, which is the, you know, the no warehouses, the no ice, know, stop ice warehouses, I guess is maybe what they're calling it. So we've made, I shouldn't, I suppose I shouldn't disclose, but there's no reason why not to. ⁓ We purchased Mylar blankets that we have made into sort of a poncho. Cynthia A Stancioff: ⁓ Susan MacNeil-Densmore: And then we have signs that say, no, I think it says no ice prisons ever that will hold anyway. So we've got this little enactment as well as sort of costuming that we'll have for this coming Saturday. And so people just come up with, know, so there are things that respond to a certain event, but we, there's certainly plenty of material to work with just on a week to week basis. Cynthia A Stancioff: Yeah. And is it costing you a lot of money to do this? Like, do you guys have to use your own money? Susan MacNeil-Densmore: ⁓ we try. No, it's not costing a lot or I'm one who will I don't spend money. I'm very thrifty. So I've been going, I was going stopping by our transfer station regularly during the summer months or the non winter months to pick up lawns. We were collecting lawn signs and then painting them over to be able to paint a new to make them into our our signs. ⁓ I was stopping at, you know, adventure advertising, I guess, and Cynthia A Stancioff: Yeah. and Susan MacNeil-Densmore: getting what they were going to take to the dump. we tried to recycle and reuse. We have had some expenses, ⁓ but we tried to keep them at a minimum. We don't have a budget for our workshop space, so that's why it's been a little difficult. We can't afford to pay rent, so it's just out of the goodness of people's hearts that we have a space to work in and storage to keep all our things. Cynthia A Stancioff: Perfect. So that's another creative aspect of this enterprise, is that you're finding ways to not spend money but still make a scene. So that's great. ⁓ You mentioned ⁓ a number of things that you have available for people to use. ⁓ Let me see if I can remember. There's buttons of various kinds that people can just have because you're making them available. Susan MacNeil-Densmore: Yeah, yeah. Cynthia A Stancioff: Saturday people can take whatever sign they want out of the library. what else do you have that people can? Right, and you're always holding up the tyranny, the floating tyranny one and tyranny one. Susan MacNeil-Densmore: ⁓ we have made banners again from old bench sheets. Yeah, and that's got a story behind it in that when you and your husband participated with us in the first, that was July of 25, I guess it was, ⁓ we had put, as you know, Maynard's resist with duct tape on the bows and the sterns of our kayaks. But Jim Dugan, who did the ⁓ photography and had a drone, said that the drone camera could not pick up our lettering. It wasn't clear enough. So when we, did the one in August. He asked for us to just have something that could really be seen. So my husband used to have a boat yard. So we had lots of big tarps. So this one is 20 feet long and we cut it in half horizontally. So it's only six feet high. And so there's a dark green tarp and there's the one, the woman who's not able to attend but is good at art stuff helped me. We rode out with a white duct tape with pink highlighting for end tyranny. And then my husband and I used some spray adhesive to put bubble wrap on the back of it so it would float. And we put a bridle on it so we could hang it in the channel in Port Clyde in front of Huffer Island and Chief Justice John Roberts' residence so it could float. So it was 20 feet long and six feet high and bold letters so it could be seen by the drone as we did the second silent flotilla. Cynthia A Stancioff: And now it's doing it. It's now it's like carrying on its mission every Saturday by standing up, which is just fine. Susan MacNeil-Densmore: Yeah, well it was sitting in the garage as in storage and I thought, you know, it's kind of a shame to have this big thing that only has one purpose. So we've repurposed it to to stand there and and and and another couple involved in audacity has volunteered to make a stand for the eagle so that it can we can I would like to my hope is that it can regularly weekly come out and stand in Chapman Park. Cynthia A Stancioff: Yeah. Susan MacNeil-Densmore: and they're hoping to maybe put it on rollers or make it mobile as well as stable so no one person has to hold it. So that's a project that's in the works. Cynthia A Stancioff: And do you have anything else beyond this weekend with the ice detention thing in the works? Susan MacNeil-Densmore: I guess that's that's the last or the That's the the date is the 25th that is accentuating ⁓ or dedicated to that issue And the ongoing thing we have are the signs of fascism. I don't know Yeah, so that was something I had seen on youtube or something and I think it's quite an impactful striking protest, ⁓ Cynthia A Stancioff: What do you think about it? ⁓ yeah, talk about that. Susan MacNeil-Densmore: it's really a funeral for democracy. And I've been concerned for decades that people aren't understanding that some of the things that are happening really are fascist. ⁓ And that's what happened in Germany and with the Nazis in World War II. And so we're hoping to just sort of educate people. But so we started making signs. We did that ⁓ in Warren ⁓ because the person had a projector. And anyway, we had a whole group of people who came one day. or couple of days ⁓ to make all those signs. We now have three sets and each set has 15 or 20. think one of them may even have 30 signs. So we can have a very large group of people and they all wear black and some of them even cover their faces so that, and there's no, we line up on a roadside. We try to find a location that's got slow moving traffic that's quite dense so people have a chance to read and we spread out. as far as we can so that someone can read the sign, digest what it says, and then encounter the next sign. And they're all examples of fascism. The first sign says signs of fascism, but some people weren't even sure what that meant. So we made one that says, what is fascism? And then we have signs that say controlling the media ⁓ using ideology instead of science. They're just examples of ⁓ what is fascism. And then the very last sign says, our grandparents fought fascism, will you? So there's definitely a message there. we don't, you know, as opposed to the demonstrations or the rallies in Chapman Park where people are waving and smiling and engaging, we don't engage at all. You know, we're like a signpost holding this message. So, and that can be borrowed by anybody and staged anywhere. If anyone, Cynthia A Stancioff: Hmm. Yeah. And have you got? Susan MacNeil-Densmore: We've So we've it was Cassette, Damariscotta, Belfast, Rockland, Camden. We've done, I think about nine ⁓ protests around whatever you want to call demonstrations with those. Cynthia A Stancioff: Have you gotten any feedback from that? from people who have seen you? Susan MacNeil-Densmore: ⁓ yes, it's very positive and supportive. And Ellen Cokes has taken responsibility for managing those. she films each one and puts it on our website, I think, and with a newsletter. But yeah, she makes sure it's documented with Audacity's ⁓ media. And then I think it's also on Facebook. I don't do any of this social media internet stuff, so I'm not a good one to ask. I'm pretty sure she does a very good job of documenting it all and posting it all. Cynthia A Stancioff: Great. ⁓ Well, I'm really happy to hear that you guys have such a robust... ⁓ group going on there and I feel like creativity is so necessary and I mean it's right in the name of Audacity Cat, right? Creative Action together and you guys are making a huge contribution to that. So I just want to thank you a lot and hope that I can get more involved when I have a little more time at some point. But meanwhile, keep up the good work and... Susan MacNeil-Densmore: this. Yeah. or what? Well, thank you. We do enjoy it and it feels, mean, I think we all question whether what we're doing makes a difference, but at least we are doing something and doing it together. So that's the rewarding part about it. yep, yep, yep. And any idea is welcome if people have ideas for that kind of creativity that we can do, or if they have space where we could set up a, you know, we're having to borrow space so we don't feel like we can sort of. Cynthia A Stancioff: And having fun, right? And having fun. We gotta keep having fun, right? Susan MacNeil-Densmore: take over or whatever. If anyone has space, could ⁓ set up a workshop that we could keep supplies and things in that makes it easier just so we don't have to be so packing up and then pulling out and packing up again. Cynthia A Stancioff: And the ideal location for that would be... Susan MacNeil-Densmore: I just as close to Rockland as possible, just because that seems to be sort of the center of our population, our action, so that I think we are now in a place that is in Rockland and, you know, it's just nice to be conveniently located. So because some people won't don't want to have to travel any distance. So the closer the better. Cynthia A Stancioff: Yeah. Yep. Okay. Well, thank you so much for your time today. And I'm sure you're busy doing your next project. So thanks for spending time with us. Susan MacNeil-Densmore: Well, look for us on Saturday. We're going to go up against the wall where I usually have the N. Tyranny banner. So instead, we have a new action happening there. Thank you. OK, thanks. Bye bye. ⁓ Cynthia A Stancioff: Excellent. Okay. Thanks a lot, Susan. What? Yeah. Great, so you want her to speak on behalf of all of Audacity. Okay. Yeah, okay. All right, I'll ask that. So what do you and everyone that you're working with feel you're actually going to accomplish by doing this weekly ⁓ protest with whatever signs and equipment and stuff that you bring to the scene? What do you feel like it's going to make a difference? Susan MacNeil-Densmore: Well, it does make a difference to, think, all of us personally in that while we're at the workshop, we are together and conversing and sharing information and supporting one another. And I think it does, we then feel that we contribute to the greater cause. I'm not a researcher, but my understanding is that ⁓ there is data that shows that if 3.5 % of the population is involved in some kind of protest that it shows that that has an impact and So I guess we're contributing to that and we ⁓ tried to stay on top of what's happening with Indivisible and a lot of the nationwide groups and participating. So I think it's a combination of community just locally, ⁓ we getting together and supporting one another, but then contributing to a national concern. So it feels rewarding in that way. And I'm trying to think, James is a neighbor, ⁓ someone I know through the community course. I'm trying to remember, I think he just put word out of mouth out initially saying if anybody would like to get together, that's why we call it, you creative action together, because we take action and we do it together and we try to be, you know, fun and creative in the process. So that's how we got started. And we were, and I think the continuity, the fact that we keep going, we were meeting weekly. And then on a Sunday and then deciding, gosh, our whole weekend is absorbed with audacity. So then we combined and met Saturday afternoon, which definitely monopolizes all our Saturdays, but at least gives us a weekend day free. And then we decided we didn't need to meet weekly because there weren't too many actions happening, like no Kings Day or the parade or this or that. But then all of sudden there are all kinds of events happening almost on a weekly basis. we've We meet, I guess, ⁓ according to the need. So if someone's excited about a project for this event this weekend, then we will work until that's completed. If it's short and sweet, then we just meet a little, you know, or we meet and can schedule extra meetings if we have a big project that needs lots of hands-on. So we're pretty flexible. Cynthia A Stancioff: Yes, so I was involved pretty much toward the beginning when we met all in the Unitarian Church and put stickies on the walls for the subgroups there must have been after the one you did in James's kitchen, but I am one that just really does not like meetings and so I just didn't I didn't end up engaging in all the meeting stuff, but we've been pretty faithful to the Saturday protests and just really grateful to have that opportunity to to like just you know do something and and especially with an Susan MacNeil-Densmore: Right. Yeah. Yes. Cynthia A Stancioff: emphasis on creativity. So that's just been a real gift to me and others that obviously that go every weekend because what do we get 200 people on a regular basis. Susan MacNeil-Densmore: Yeah, yeah. And we are open to any idea those first Saturday of the month, meeting, if someone has an idea and hasn't ever participated either in our group or Audacity at large, they can come to that Saturday meeting the first Saturday of the month at 10 o'clock at the first Unitarian in Rockland and just voice an idea, introduce themselves and voice an idea. And ⁓ if it's supported or people are enthused about it, we can go ahead with it. Cynthia A Stancioff: Alright. Okay, well thanks a lot for talking today and good luck to you in all your projects present and future. Okay, bye bye. Susan MacNeil-Densmore: Thanks. Thanks for the opportunity to speak. Goodbye.