Art + Democracy

Democracy is about more than casting a vote in our representative government.

At its core, democracy is a special form of social life defined by relationships — how we communicate, participate, and deliberate about our shared life together. Defining characteristics of democracy include being open to alternative perspectives, respecting the dignity of fellow human beings, committing to lifelong learning and self-reflection, and actively participating in the life of the community.

Engaging with art is a potent way to reflect on democratic culture and cultivate the mindsets and practices required from each of us to sustain a healthy democracy. In that spirit, this blog series features artworks from the Chrysler Museum’s collection. Each artwork is selected by a community member, who offers their perspective on how democracy is displayed. The goal is to foster an appreciation for the power of art to speak to our contemporary social world and to inspire each of us to work towards improving our community.

Come, let us build a new world together.

Danny Lyon (American, b. 1942), SNCC field secretary, later SNCC chairman, now Congressman John Lewis, and others pray during a demonstration, 1962, Gelatin silver print, Chrysler Museum of Art, Museum purchase, in memory of Alice R. and Sol B. Frank, ©Danny Lyon / Licensed by Magnum Photos, 2000.14.3

The nineteen-year-old Danny Lyon photographed this moment in Cairo, Illinois, in July 1962. Lyon documented the activities of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a group of young Civil Rights leaders. The photograph was taken at a small gathering in Cairo, which was one of nearly a hundred non-violent protests that took place there that summer and fall.

The powerful image features three individuals kneeling in prayer, including John Lewis (left), who became the SNCC chair in 1963. Yet, the emotional focus rests on the faceless girl at the center of the photograph. Her sturdy posture, contrasted with her small frame, displays a quiet but inspiring confidence. I see her as a symbol of a better America, and a reminder that social progress requires the dreams and actions of all citizens, regardless of age, race, class, or political party.

Shortly after this photo was taken, the young girl was walking in the street with others when a white man in a pickup truck drove through the crowd. She stood her ground and was knocked to the pavement. Taken to the hospital, she was treated for injuries and released later that evening.

SNCC photographers, like Lyon, were documenting moments that the mainstream media deemed un-newsworthy. They did not focus on the household names and charismatic personalities of the movement’s main leaders but instead showed the quiet and courageous actions of ordinary people. As such, a healthy democracy is not sustained by those in power, but by ordinary citizens committed to improving the world around them.

How do you participate in the life of your community? How do you help improve the world around you?

– Drew Lusher
Public Programs and Community Partnerships Manager