Ujamaa
Cooperative Economics
Cooperative Economics
By Stephanie Anne Johnson
Brass mailboxes, paper, money, and light.
This piece was presented in the inaugural show for the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco in 2008.
Brass mailboxes, paper, money, and light.
This piece was presented in the inaugural show for the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco in 2008.
This piece is based on the Kwanzaa principle of Ujamaa: Cooperative Economics. The brass mailboxes reminded me of the ones we had when I was growing up in the Bronx. Viewers were encouraged to “take a dollar (if you need one) and leave a dollar (if you have one).” Many of my friends laughed when I put 50 one-dollar bills in the mailboxes as a starter.
They were convinced that I was “giving money away.” This interactive piece raised $700 (in one dollar bills), which I donated to local children’s art programs. This is a perfect visual metaphor and an inspiration for the on-the-ground activities we must do in order to survive and thrive, particularly in harsh political and economics times.
They were convinced that I was “giving money away.” This interactive piece raised $700 (in one dollar bills), which I donated to local children’s art programs. This is a perfect visual metaphor and an inspiration for the on-the-ground activities we must do in order to survive and thrive, particularly in harsh political and economics times.
