Sadie Shaw — Artist and Community Activist

Pictured above; images from Sadie Shaw’s site specific installation at The University of Arizona Marshall Building, her NEGROPHOBIA installation, and her campaign materials.

In this episode of Artistories, we hear from Sadie Shaw, artist and community activist. She talks to us about the Sugar Hill neighborhood and the Sugar Hill Oral History Project for which she received an Arts Foundation grant. When Sadie’s cousin passed away, many of the family’s stories and the neighborhood’s history went with him, compelling Sadie to record the oral histories of others from this historically Black neighborhood, which you can listen to here. Sadie and I also talk about gentrification, and her efforts to establish a Land Trust as the Sugar Hill Neighborhood Association president.  She also talks about the connections between her campaign for a seat on the TUSD Board and her art; intertwined trajectories based on political art, advocacy and community. She talks about her decision to run for this position during a global pandemic and what running a campaign these days looks like. She ends the podcast with a beautiful message for Tucson’s Black youth and everyone who wants to find a way to get involved in their community.

We didn’t have time to talk about it, but here’s a bonus link to Sadie Shaw’s video, Birth of a Nation.