University of Florida alumna Marilyn Minter (BFA Fine Arts ‘69) is co-curating a politically-charged pop-up shop at the Brooklyn Museum of Art titled Anger Management, running from September 28 to November 12.
The shop will feature artists including Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, Glenn Ligon, Robert Longo, Faith Ringgold and many more. It aims to offer objects of “hope, resistance and protest,” according to the museum’s September press release.
“To be an activist makes you feel better,” said Minter, never one to shy away from making controversial political statements with her art. “You’re not just a passive witness. Even if it’s futile, at least you tried. When you sit there and do nothing it corrodes you from the inside.”
Anger Management is not only an event at which artists can channel their frustration but also aims to make a real difference in part by donating proceeds to Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Minter and curator Andrianna Campbell have stated that the shop’s intent is to protest a number of issues, included but not limited to the immigration ban, attacks on the Environmental Protection Agency, violence against people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals, and the rescission of workers’ rights in America.
“As educated individuals, anger seems like an irrational response,” Campbell said, “but at this stage, it is the most rational response that we have.”
Minter credits Campbell with much of the legwork behind Anger Management, saying she was the engine behind most of the featured artists.
“Almost everyone said yes,” she said. “Lots of busy artists made things. Everybody wanted to participate because there’s so much frustration. People are saying, ‘What can I do?’ Well, we can donate money to Planned Parenthood and the ACLU—channel our anger.”
The shop will feature more than 60 objects, including a selection of stickers, t-shirts, posters, temporary tattoos, pins and mugs, mostly ranging between $5 and $30. Minter’s Resist flag will be highlighted - according to W Magazine, the flag briefly hung in front of New York City’s Lever House before the building’s ownership asked for it to be removed due to violating federal flag regulations.
“There’s some really great pieces,” Minter said. “I want them all. I’m going to wear all the tattoos and buttons.”
Minter believes there are not many museums around New York City that would hold an event like Anger Management, but she hopes that if it is successful enough, another institution would pick it up or hold a similar event.
Since earning her BFA in Fine Arts from the University of Florida in 1969 and relocating to New York shortly after, Minter has been highly prolific in her artistic output.
“Artists are our societal mirror,” says Chad Philips, Brooklyn Museum Director of Merchandising. “When Marilyn and Andrianna approached us, we knew we had to provide an outlet for these artists to express themselves at this time of social unrest.”
More information on Minter and her work can be found at www.marilynminter.net.
Admission to the Brooklyn Museum costs $16, costs $10 for students with a valid I.D. and seniors, and is free for guests age 19 and younger. There will be free admission the first Saturday of November. More information can be found at www.brooklynmuseum.org.
