What do you care about? Are you an advocate for a cause? I’d like to think we all are looking to improve the community we live in. There are fantastic initiatives to work on sustainability, missions around access and inclusion, and legal statutes that protect those who need it. There is however one “ism” that is regularly under-considered, socially accepted, and even misunderstood…Ageism. This edition of the APN Wire is all about this discriminatory practice that is everywhere, and especially rampant in the art world. I hope it makes you ask yourself…Am I Ageist? After learning more about this, I know I have taken a hard look at myself.
Get more perspective by reading the articles section. I want to thank the brave contributor that shared their story with me for the first Art Pro Perspective article. I wish I could say they have been the only ones to reach out, but sadly the discrimination that goes on in our hiring practices is a regular occurrence. Ageism happens all over and is a problem for younger and older people alike. Read her story to learn about a personal account of this in our world.
Take some time and listen to my latest podcast, an interview with ageism activist Ashton Applewhite. We talk about her work, her wonderful book, and how we can take a hard look at ageism and our misconceptions about what aging really means. Also, take a look at the resources section to find tons of places to learn and engage about this topic. We need to bring it out of the background and add it to the inclusion focus we are all actively adding to our missions.
Finally, if you have a story to share about this or any topic, reach out. I want to help you find answers and info. Art Pro Net is here to bring resources and perspectives to our community no matter what. Don’t be shy if you have something you want to bring to the forefront.