Artists Stand with Residents Against Artwashing

**Zacha341** · February-21-20, 09:53 AM

Anyone here aware of this? More than a few people have signed on...

From post:

We refuse to participate in the mural project unless the city and FCA meet the neighbors' demands addressing damage to their health and homes.

We support art that is for and by the community, not weaponized against US.
We denounce this blatant act of masking injustice with murals, and using artists to validate state violence...

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...eID-w/viewform

https://detroitpeoplesplatform.org/2...t-and-demands/

**Gistok** · February-21-20, 07:23 PM

"We need More Money. $15,000 is not enough to make the repairs to our homes that are needed to make them safe. We want our foundations repaired, new roofs and windows, central air and furnaces, all certified for air quality. There are a few who would consider relocation, if provided enough money to do so successfully, but the great majority of us want to stay."

Good luck with getting all that with the Fiat Chrysler expansion...

**Seven&wyo** · February-21-20, 07:27 PM

I mean the factory is still being built so what exactly is this going to accomplish?

**Hamtragedy** · February-21-20, 10:53 PM

I can't believe the current FCA project was able to take over St. Jean, further isolating that neighborhood.

**gvidas** · February-22-20, 11:30 PM

I think it's great, and I'm glad this was organized. A lot of the big names doing mural work in Detroit signed the statement in solidarity with the neighborhood.

**CassTechGrad** · February-23-20, 09:50 AM

Deadline Detroit, February 18, 2020, 12:25 PM
"This is an exciting one-of-a-kind project that will beautify the wall residents requested be installed as part of the FCA community benefits agreement," said Zach Meers, who runs Detroit's City Walls arts program”

I found this picture showing some of the painting of the wall that is being done.

Name: build the wall.jpg
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Name: build the wall.jpg
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Size: 73.9 KB

**JBMcB** · February-23-20, 03:52 PM

Definition - Artwashing:

Washing art off of something.
Washing something with art.
Brainwashing somebody with art.
Washing someone named Art.
Artfully washing something.

What am I missing?

**bust** · February-23-20, 07:50 PM

It's great to see investment in domestic manufacturing, especially in Detroit.

But the community is absolutely right to expect FCA to do more to minimize its environmental impact.

It's ridiculous FCA proposes to monitor air quality only 15% of the time from only one location, in a such a vast, major facility.
It should follow EPA recommendations, at minimum.
And how can FCA neither promise an air filter nor explain why it's not necessary?

Meanwhile, from the Detroit News:

"The Mack site is expected to produce less than 380 tons of violent organic compound per year. That is about one-third of Jefferson North..." [[emphasis mine).

380 tons of volatile organic compounds does not make a good neighbor. Volatile organic compounds are dangerous.

What specific VOCs will they emit? Will they be among the cancer-causing ones?

Jefferson North should be retrofitted so it pollutes less.

[[And local journalists, please raise your standards.)

**bust** · February-23-20, 08:03 PM

PS. I'm less worried about the plant expanding to take over St. Jean.
The isolation on either side of the plant happens because from Warren to Jefferson it blocks all East-West streets except Mack.

**Richard** · February-23-20, 09:12 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

"We need More Money. $15,000 is not enough to make the repairs to our homes that are needed to make them safe. We want our foundations repaired, new roofs and windows, central air and furnaces, all certified for air quality. There are a few who would consider relocation, if provided enough money to do so successfully, but the great majority of us want to stay."

Good luck with getting all that with the Fiat Chrysler expansion...

I wonder if the land bank has any $500 derelict homes there,could be an opportunity to make some quick cash if it goes through.

Somebody will grab 5 or 6,get the cash and walk.

Interesting about the paint plant putting toxins out,I had a paint booth with water scrubber filters,nothing but clean air got out.

I had a historic house in downtown Orlando that was 3 houses away from a school,they did an addition that involved pile driving and it did crack the plaster and crack some of the supporting 80 year old support tiers.

The school board sent the contractors in and did the repairs,the only thing we had to do was sign off on the repairs as acceptable,I wish they would have cut me a check,I probably could have done it at half the price.

So it is a common practice of what they are asking,but they have to prove what caused the damage,that is the snag.

**Dumpling** · February-24-20, 01:20 AM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

Definition - Artwashing:

Washing art off of something.
Washing something with art.
Brainwashing somebody with art.
Washing someone named Art.
Artfully washing something.

What am I missing?

The relevant original phrase from days of yore:

"whitewashing":

"deliberately attempting to conceal unpleasant facts about a
person or organization"

A more recent phrase derived from "whitewashing is "greenwashing":

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/greenwashing.asp

Then "artwashing" follows in a logical way from these
two created terms.

To pile on unfairly, "artwashing" in this context creates a mental image of an industrial plant built on land purchased at high prices from speculators
with insider knowledge who bought up tax foreclosed houses then evicted their longtime residents then tore the houses down. Or, otherwise,
perhaps the land was a onetime city park that was not further developed for recreational use but placed in a land bank for industrial development with the blessing of the City Council.
Once built, this plant emits noises and pollutants above the regulated amounts but nothing seems to be done about it. If the local media or national environmental organizations inquires about any of this, they
are required to file FOIAs for any regulatory information which is grudgingly provided, at the highest prices, and in the longest possible time frame.

As a small remedial measure the forbidding concrete exterior of
the heavily fortified and guarded complex is painted with murals.
This would be "artwashing".