DIY art and community activism

This study explores the collaborative process of members of DIY art collectives in the Pacific Northwest as understood through a collective action lens focused on the cooperative links and motivations of the art collectives. Participant observation and in-depth interviews were used to gather data showing the process of establishing and maintaining membership in a DIY art collective, and the values that motivate the collective’s continuation. Drawing on Howard Becker’s art world framework as well as literature on social movements and art activism, I show how the DIY art world of this study is fluid, open, and driven by values of social change, community, and freedom of expression