What if the solution to our democracy’s crisis isn’t another white paper or study—but an artist running for office?

In this episode, civic organizer and “public defender” Tom Tresser reveals why he feels America’s nonprofit and creative sectors are missing in action when it comes to power, policy, and public trust. As arts funding shrinks and disinformation grows, Tom challenges creatives to stop “staying in their lane” and instead step up as leaders in civic life.

In it we’ll:

• Learn how a small, unfunded coalition stopped the 2016 Olympics from coming to Chicago—and why that matters for creative change agents everwhere

• We’ll also Discover why Tom thinks creative people are uniquely qualified to solve society’s most funky problems—and how artistic skills and political strategies are cut from the same cloth

And inspired by a radical, hopeful model for building civic power from the ground up, rooted in creative intelligence, story making, and community action.

Notable Mentions

The 100K Project: Tom Tresser's initiative that seeks to train, and propel 100,000 people from the arts, nonprofit, social services, education, and science sectors (and their supporters) to run for local office or help those with our values run as champions of service, science, justice, equity, peace, creativity, and the public sector.

People

Bill Cleveland: Host of Art Is Change and long-time practitioner in arts-based community development and civic storytelling.

Tom Tresser: Chicago civic organizer, public defender of the public sector, and co-founder of No Games Chicago.

Richard M. Daley: Former Chicago mayor behind the 2016 Olympic bid effort.

Barack Obama: Then–senator and later president who supported Chicago’s Olympic bid.

Sam Zell: Billionaire and owner of the Chicago Tribune, a supporter of the Olympic bid.

Senator Jesse Helms: Conservative senator known for attacks on the NEA.

Pat Robertson: Christian Coalition founder and major force in culture-war politics.

Andres Serrano: Artist whose work Piss Christ became central to NEA controversies.

The NEA Four: Performance artists whose denied NEA grants fueled national censorship debate.

Frederick Douglass: Abolitionist and civic educator cited as a model for grassroots truth-telling.

Paul Wellstone: U.S. senator whose “organize–advocate–run” triangle influences Tresser’s civic theory.

Oprah Winfrey: Chicago cultural icon who supported the 2016 Olympic bid.

Barbara Steveni: British artist and co-founder of the pioneering Artist Placement Group.

Judy Munson: Composer of the Art Is Change theme and soundscape.

Andre Nebe: Text editor for this episode.

Events

Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid: Major civic initiative defeated by grassroots organizing.

IOC Host City Vote – Copenhagen 2009: IOC meeting where Chicago was eliminated in the first round.

NEA Culture Wars: National battle over arts funding, censorship, and cultural values.

Performing Arts Communities Campaign to Save the NEA (1991): Chicago-based advocacy mobilizing artists and audiences.

The 100K Project: National initiative to train 100,000 creative people to run for local office.

Opening of the Civic Lab (2013): Launch of a civic makerspace for democratic literacy and organizing.

Organizations

Center for the Study of Art & Community: Producer of Art Is Change and national leader in arts-based civic engagement.

Art Is Change Podcast: The podcast exploring arts, culture, and democracy.

League of Chicago Theatres: Chicago’s principal theater service organization.

National Endowment for the Arts: Federal arts funder often at the center of political battles.

Christian Coalition: Conservative political organization active in culture-war campaigns.

Focus on the Family: Christian advocacy group active in the arts-funding debates.

No Games Chicago: Volunteer coalition that stopped Chicago’s Olympic bid.

International Olympic Committee: Governing body of the Olympic Games.

The Civic Lab: Civic makerspace founded by Tom Tresser.

National Guild for Community Arts Education: Partner for civic leadership training for creatives.

PBS: Public broadcasting network referenced in arts-funding discussions.

Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: U.S. national arts institution.

Harvard Project Zero: Research center whose “studio thinking” informs the leadership model.

Americans for the Arts: National arts advocacy organization.

Freesound.org: Community sound library used for audio effects.

Publications

No Games Chicago (Routledge): Tresser’s book on defeating the Olympic bid.

Oxford Economics Research on Olympic Mega-Projects: Analysis of the economic and civic impacts of hosting the Olympics.

Christian Coalition Fundraising Letters (Archive): Historic mailers used in culture-war fundraising.

Artist Placement Group Documentation (Tate): Archival record of the groundbreaking UK socially engaged art model.