A mural cannot be a band-aid on a society that puts Black and Brown people at the bottom every single day,” says Katie Yamasaki, muralist and children’s book artist who uses art as a platform to build dialogue and tell stories of communities.
In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, Katie speaks with host Lynne Golodner about her early influences (including her famous grandfather, architect Minoru Yamasaki, who designed the World Trade Center), collaborating with former students and incarcerated mothers on important mural projects, and how she always cobbled together jobs to make ends meet so she could focus on her art.
- Seeking a creative career of your soul
- The meaning behind your work
- How murals create space for dialogue and clarity of identity
- Why a mural is never going to be enough
- The importance of working in prisons and detention centers
- The need to resolve systemic racism and related issues
- Black Lives Matter uprisings
- The criminalization of poverty and domestic violence
Links and Resources:
Coming up next on the Make Meaning Podcast:
Lynne interviews Crystal Blanchette, private chef to celebrities and athletes, including Will.i.am, Prince, George Lucas and Mike Tyson.
If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll like these other Make Meaning podcast episodes!
- Episode 83 – Adrian Tonon, Detroit’s first 24-Hour Ambassador
- Episode 70 – Elena Reads: A Young Blogger Changing Perspectives
- Episode 68 – Literary Arts Activism with M.L. Liebler
- Episode 66 – Giving Voice to Underserved Communities with Aaron Dworkin
- Episode 43 – Rising Above with Natasha Guynes
- Episode 31 – Art from the Heart with Jacqueline Drake
- Episode 2 – Stories Can Change the World with Barbara Jones
