As we mark our nation’s 250th anniversary amid renewed attacks on our American ideals and freedoms, we celebrate the role of artists in our democracy and the power of everyday people to shape the future. Join us for a special evening featuring Vincent Valdez, Debbie Millman, Kathleen Turner, and more!
Artist Vincent Valdez creates provocative works that confront the erasures in American history, revealing how those omissions still shape our present. He speaks with urgency about the dangers of forgetting our past, echoing Gore Vidal’s notion of the “United States of Amnesia,” and shows how artists can make the reality of American life on the margins impossible to ignore.
He will be in conversation with Debbie Millman, a cultural commentator, illustrator, author, professor at the School of Visual Arts, and the host of the popular podcast Design Matters.
Screen icon Kathleen Turner, alongside artist Deborah Kass and other special guests, will perform a dramatic reading of select constitutional amendments that feel especially vulnerable in this moment.
This is the premiere launch event for The Art of Saving Democracy: An Action Kit for Making Change, an arts-infused civic renewal initiative by People For the American Way.
Combining art and action, The Art of Saving Democracy “inspires and empowers in equal measure,” says Academy Award-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who contributed to the foreword. Alongside contributions from Valdez and Millman, it includes work by Roy Lichtenstein, Ed Ruscha, Carrie Mae Weems, Shepard Fairey, Deborah Kass, Beverly McIver, Cleon Peterson, and more. The action kit pairs these art pieces with practical advice, covering how to contact elected officials, place op-eds, protest safely, and organize with others.
About People For the American Way
People For the American Way is a national progressive advocacy organization that inspires and mobilizes Americans to defend freedom, justice, and democracy from those who threaten to take them away. For more than four decades, we have been dedicated to making the promise of American ideals real for everyone and have worked toward a vision of a vibrant America where basic rights and freedoms are upheld for all, not just the wealthy and the powerful. Learn more at peoplefor.org.
Artist Vincent Valdez creates provocative works that confront the erasures in American history, revealing how those omissions still shape our present. He speaks with urgency about the dangers of forgetting our past, echoing Gore Vidal’s notion of the “United States of Amnesia,” and shows how artists can make the reality of American life on the margins impossible to ignore.
He will be in conversation with Debbie Millman, a cultural commentator, illustrator, author, professor at the School of Visual Arts, and the host of the popular podcast Design Matters.
Screen icon Kathleen Turner, alongside artist Deborah Kass and other special guests, will perform a dramatic reading of select constitutional amendments that feel especially vulnerable in this moment.
This is the premiere launch event for The Art of Saving Democracy: An Action Kit for Making Change, an arts-infused civic renewal initiative by People For the American Way.
Combining art and action, The Art of Saving Democracy “inspires and empowers in equal measure,” says Academy Award-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who contributed to the foreword. Alongside contributions from Valdez and Millman, it includes work by Roy Lichtenstein, Ed Ruscha, Carrie Mae Weems, Shepard Fairey, Deborah Kass, Beverly McIver, Cleon Peterson, and more. The action kit pairs these art pieces with practical advice, covering how to contact elected officials, place op-eds, protest safely, and organize with others.
About People For the American Way
People For the American Way is a national progressive advocacy organization that inspires and mobilizes Americans to defend freedom, justice, and democracy from those who threaten to take them away. For more than four decades, we have been dedicated to making the promise of American ideals real for everyone and have worked toward a vision of a vibrant America where basic rights and freedoms are upheld for all, not just the wealthy and the powerful. Learn more at peoplefor.org.
ONSALE DATES
General Public
Tue, Apr 7
Tue, Apr 7
UPCOMING Performances
VENUE
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets start at $35
Add a copy of the kit during checkout for an additional $26.
Please note: All online and phone orders are subject to a $3 facility fee and an $8 handling fee per ticket. All orders at the box office are subject to a $3 facility fee per ticket.
BAM Members & Patrons receive 20% off tickets through Apr 30, 2026. No promo code needed—your discount will be applied automatically at checkout. Please note: This offer applies to the program only and does not include the book.
Add a copy of the kit during checkout for an additional $26.
Please note: All online and phone orders are subject to a $3 facility fee and an $8 handling fee per ticket. All orders at the box office are subject to a $3 facility fee per ticket.
BAM Members & Patrons receive 20% off tickets through Apr 30, 2026. No promo code needed—your discount will be applied automatically at checkout. Please note: This offer applies to the program only and does not include the book.
All performances will adhere to protocols developed in accordance with New York State regulations and in consultation with medical professionals for the safety of our artists, audiences, and staff.
Leadership support for
BAM’s strategic initiatives provided by:
Leadership support for BAM Access Programs provided by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation
Leadership support for
BAM programming provided by
