The career of Joan Baez has long been underlined by her dedication to social justice and human rights, and after years of painting and drawing, the activist is set to stage her first solo painting exhibition this fall called “Mischief Makers”.
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Running from September 1 to October 1 at Seager Gray Gallery in Mill Valley, California, “Mischief Makers” will showcase a collection of painted portraits exalting notable figures who achieved social change through non-violence. Subjects painted by Baez include Martin Luther King Jr., Malala Yousafzai, Maya Angelou, and fellow folkies Bob Dylan and Harry Belafonte to name a few.
“The choice of subjects for this, my first solo exhibit, comes as a reaction to the collapse of decency and moral standards which is currently being made obscenely evident in our government and its supporters,” said Baez. “In stark contrast, the ‘Mischief Makers’ are people who are willing to accept suffering, but never inflict it, to die for their cause, but never kill for it, and keep a sense of mischief through it all.”
A portion of her artwork sales will go to Caracen SF, an organization offering assistance to Latino, other immigrant, and under-resourced families in the San Francisco Bay Area.
More information on the exhibit and gallery can be found here, and check out Baez’s stirring Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction speech below.
