Wide Awake at the Creeping Museum

In the midst of chaos, it's difficult to think about anything but the immediate present. Between the uncertainty of the upcoming election and a global pandemic raging with no end in sight, contemplating the future can feel futile. But this critical moment is exactly the time we should be looking toward the future. The old world was broken, and it's not coming back. It's time for us to start building a new one. This is our moment to decide what things must change, and begin the work of changing them.

1860 Wide Awakes banner, on display at the Old State Capital in Springfield, Illinois.

Wide Awakes, 1861. Detroit Public Library digital collections.

In 1860, thousands of young abolitionists calling themselves the Wide Awakes donned their capes, raised their banners, and marched in the streets for emancipation. A new group of artists, activists, and cultural workers have reinvented this movement for our own critical moment in history. They recognize what's at stake, and they believe that a better world--one centered around listening, healing, and justice--is possible. They're using art and creative collaboration to start conversations, inspire civic participation, and imagine the infinite horizons of the future.

The Vote Feminist Parade at the Wide Awakes March in New York City, October 3, 2020.
Photos by Sarah Cascone, courtesy of Young Women in the Arts.

Rejoice in the Future! virtual march

In honor of Election Day, from now until November 3 we're holding our own @wideawakes march--virtually!--as both an act of joy and resilience and as an invocation for a brighter tomorrow. We're reclaiming our power as artists to radically reimagine our shared future, and we'd like you to join us, from wherever you are! Just make and post a "banner"--a literal banner or sign, a Wide Awakes style cape, a poem, a video, a playlist, a recipe, a story, a spell, or any other favorite medium--that celebrates our resilience and strength, or sets your intentions for a better world. Everyone is welcomed to participate. Tag your post with #wideawakeatthecreepingmuseum and join our virtual march!

Individually we are asleep.
Together we are Wide Awake!

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We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the @wideawakes2020 □ Thank you everyone for showing up today for #wideawakesday—160 years after the 1860 #WideAwakes march for abolition—30 days before our next election. Now let’s get out the vote □

A post shared by ᕼᗩᑎK (@hankwillisthomas) on Oct 3, 2020 at 8:35pm PDT

Wide Awake poster by Never Made for Amplifier Art, 2020.