The Institute of Prophetic Activist Art 

will be offering two courses in applied mysticism

"Bringing the spirit to life through action"

Great Books explores mystical thinking by reading from texts of great spiritual thinkers throughout the ages to spur us on to see our lives, and the surrounding society, from a very different perspective.  Every week, we read 30-50 page excerpts of one book, then spend the class discussing the ideas, as well as how they might impact the manner in which we view the world, and our place within it.

The course will explore:

Aldous Huxley, The Perennial Philosophy

Early Upanishads (Hindu)

Confucius and Mencius (Taoism)

Bodidharma and Buddha's Diamond Sutra (Buddhism)

Epictetus (Stoic)

Origen (early Christianity -- before it became a state relgion) 

Idries Shah, Tales of the Dervishes (Sufism)

Martin Buber, Hasidic Sayings and Tales (18th-century Hasidism)

Black Elk Speaks (Lakota Sioux)

Gandhi (contemporary peacemaker)

Wendell Berry (contemporary Animist)

Cost: $200, with all reading materials provided as pdf documents

Prophetic Activist Art: Strategies for a Spiritual Revolution

Prophetic Activist Art offers an intensive workshop to build individual art-activist projects over the semester-long seminar. Classes include an introduction to the specific aspects of the Prophetic Activist Art model (developed by Tom Block out of his own work), and then an exploration about how these ideas can be applied to each artist and their endeavor.

The class will base its work on Tom Block’s manifesto/handbook of art activism: Prophetic Activist Art: Handbook for a Spiritual Revolution  (Centre for Human Ecology, Scotland, 2014).  Mr. Block (www.tomblock.com) will be running the seminar.  A copy of the book will be provided.

The eight session seminar will explore the motivations and strategies for each particular activist art project.  It will then introduce artists to the specific ideas of the model, including co-opting political, business and social energy; partnering with non-profit groups; making liaisons with other artists; utilizing unusual exhibition and outreach methods; “Machiavellian” activism; how to build a project from inception through completion; how to imagine and successfully attain quantifiable activist goals and other specific aspects of a Prophetic Activist Art intervention.  

Cost: $200, with all reading materials provided.