Art Workers' Coalition

In 1969, a relatively large group of artists, critics, writers, and others associated with the art world formed a loosely structured organization in New York called the Art Workers' Coalition (AWC). Members of the community of interest felt compelled by political events in the United States in the 1960s to reflect on the relationship between art and politics and sought to mobilize avant-garde art as a political tool to address social problems and bring about social transformation. Another major goal was to end discrimination and inequality in exhibition policies and to ensure that more women and black artists were represented.