Citizen Joy

03/28/2026

https://youtu.be/U5VXwncNvTo

Join Bette Midler in her version of Woody Guthrie's World War II classic song!

When the occasion calls you, SING OUT! The great Woody Guthrie wrote the original, and I re-wrote some of the words to reflect our current times. I hope yo...

03/23/2026

Citizen Karine wrote a piece on the "Voices" page of our website about the joys of resistance (and other things)... check it out!

Something happened at the start of 2026 — the 250th anniversary year of our country at a time when we are disunited and dispirited as rampant authoritarianism threatens our democracy and the world order. In Minneapolis, ICE’s Operation Metro Surge had been going on since early December, with 300...

03/18/2026

03/16/2026

https://open.substack.com/pub/karineschomer/p/singing-the-resistance?r=5ifzc&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Bringing Music, Joy and Hope to Citizen Engagement

03/06/2026

The SINGING RESISTANCE that started in Minneapolis is now organized in many cities in US. If you're in the SF Bay Area, follow the link below to register and sign up.

If you're in the SF Bay Area, sign up to join and stay in touch. https://form.jotform.com/260607779925168?link_id=5&can_id=22502f47d5c6dbdfc80b36fb70d8775f&source=email-we-asked-for-5-boxes-you-delivered-72-bags-of-love&email_referrer=email_3132078&email_subject=we-asked-for-5-boxes-you-delivered-72-bags-of-love&&

02/13/2026

From Port Angeles artist Rachel G.

01/29/2026

Bruce Springsteen shows us why art and artists are so important to a functioning democracy. Please watch and share this video.

I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free, Bruce Sp...

01/17/2026

From our last meeting with artists nationwide...

This is "Artists Imagine America, with logo" by Lis Cox, One Story Project on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

01/05/2026

Noted film director Guillermo Del Toro tells us why art is important in a democracy.

Guillermo del Toro says claiming that 'art is not important' is a 'prelude to fascism.'

12/04/2025

Artist Kevin Daniels created this image he calls "The Right and Rites of Protest". This is just one of many pieces being created to celebrate democracy and the rights and liberties guaranteed to all citizens of this country. Would you like to participate in the Citizen Joy! celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence that we call "We the People Artful Visions for our Future"? Drop us a note or post a link here, or on our Instagram page about your project or thoughts! https://www.instagram.com/citizenjoyful/

11/22/2025

Many like minded organizations share our goal to promote and protect democracy through the arts. Citizen Joy! is a rhizomatic hub promoting our brothers and sisters in the arts. California For the Arts is an example of a group on our wavelength.

11/21/2025

America is at a crossroads. People are tired. People are scared. They wonder if the dream we were promised still lives—or if it was only ever a story.
Artists, musicians, writers, actors, painters, dreamers—you’ve always been this nation’s soul. You’ve told us the truth when no one else would: of broken dreams and second chances, of ordinary people holding onto dignity in hard times. You have the power to move hearts, open eyes, and change what we believe is possible.
We need that power now—images and voices that reach deeper than politics.
On July 4, 2026, America will stand before the world. Beyond the fireworks, will we see a democracy collapsing in fear and division—or reborn in hope and courage? That hope cannot be handed down. It must be created—by us, by you.
More details to come!