Tech as Art: Commissioned Essays from Arts Practitioners

The following essays were commissioned as a companion to the 2021 report, Tech as Art: Supporting Artists Who Use Technology as a Creative Medium. Focused to raise visibility of current “Tech As Art” discourse occurring within the larger landscape of contemporary arts, each essay offers compelling provocations uplifting the idea that an equitable, resilient, and thriving arts and cultural ecosystem includes deepened support for artistic practices focused on technology as a creative medium. Alongside providing further context for the arts and cultural sector, these essays offer new perspectives and considerations for intersecting industry leaders in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), to discover shared goals and priorities with tech-focused artists and related practices. These essays are part of an Arts & Technology Field Scan conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with the Ford Foundation and the Knight Foundation.

“Recoding the Master’s Tools: Artists Remake Systems of Oppression and Extraction in Technology” by Vanessa Chang

“How Artists Can Bridge the Digital Divide and Reimagine Humanity” by Agnes Chavez

“Teaching the Co-Creators of a New Economy from Lincoln, Nebraska” by Megan Elliott

“Artist Perspective: Building Afrocentric Technoculture and Community” by Ari Melenciano

“Space, Time, Sustainability, Community: Giving Digital Artists What They Need” by Stephanie Pereira

“How the Arts Sector Can Support Transformational Technology” by Omari Rush

“Funder Perspective: Broadening Support for Arts and Technology” by Eleanor Savage

“Future World-building Depends on Artists and Collaborative Networks” by Kamal Sinclair

“Where Is the Public Discourse Around Art and Technology?” by Hrag Vartanian

“A Call-to-Action in STEAM Education” by S. Craig Watkins