Artists, we need you—now. This year.
You have the power to move hearts, open eyes, and change what we believe is possible! Learn more here.Artists, we need you—now. This year.
You have the power to move hearts, open eyes, and change what we believe is possible! Learn more here.
What is Citizen Joy!
We are a national network of artists and arts organizations from all discipline using art to cut through the doom and gloom about politics, explore what we have (and could lose) as citizens, and energize people to do what they can to protect our democratic rights and freedoms.
Citizen Joy! Is a celebration of democracy focused on gratitude, agency and harmony.
What is Our Mission?
Because we know that autocrats thrive when there is a disheartened, disconnected and divided populace, we need to engage as citizens to defend the best of what democracy is and can be. And we need to understand and love what we’re defending. Artists can help because artists know how to deal with the gnarliest of subjects in a way that energizes people.
Our mission is to bring the power of the arts to growing meaningful citizen engagement.
What Do We Do?
We have a blog where we post contributions by members of our network. Check out 'Our Voices'.
We provide a showcase where people can post about what they’re doing and learning, and where they can link up with other efforts. Sign in to our Citizen Joy Online Artist Showcase submission site to submit your art via Google Docs.
We initiate group projects focusing on particular themes. Check out our current 2026 project We The People: Artful Visions for our Future.
We hold facilitated monthly thematic Zoom conversations among artists who have joined our network. Go to Join Us to request signing up and joining us.
We serve as an informal clearing house for events and opportunities for artists. Go to Join Us to share information with us, and to our Events Calendar to see what’s coming up.
We try to be a spark and an inspiration for people across the country to do whatever they are inspired to do, where they are, with the friends and resources they have.
How Do We Work?
- A small leadership team meets weekly on Zoom to develop ideas to help guide and coordinate the diverse and decentralized efforts of our network of artists, arts organizations and educators.
- A monthly newsletter gets sent out every month announcing the next Zoom meeting’s theme, and
- Our monthly Zoom conversations enable people who have joined our network can share their artistic projects and discuss ideas together.
We are an all-volunteer effort, and grow through relationships and word-of-mouth.
Who Is In Our Network?
Our network includes individual creators, educators and organizations in all artistic disciplines – visual arts, performing arts, music, film, writing, design, media and more. Check out Our Network to see who has joined us thus far. Go to Join Us to become a member of our network too.