Johnny Smith. Images courtesy Matt Starr
Brooklyn's Wayfarers gallery transformed into an interactive environment heavily inspired by Bernie Sanders’ campaign platform this past weekend for Weekend With Bernie. Upon entry, to the right was a certified nurse that ready to give you "free healthcare," to your left was the “Bernie Bodega,” where attendees could buy health food and condoms for one or two free “Bernie Bucks,” and front and center was the piece de resistance, an eight-foot-tall Bernie Sanders statue replete with a paper shredder installed inside its mouth specifically for gobbling up student loans.The show was presented by local artist Matt Starr, of Babycore fame. “I wanted to put on a show that mirrored Bernie's campaign. I set the budget at $27 (which is the average donation to Bernie's campaign) for myself and my producer Brittany Natale, totaling the shows entire budget at $54,” Starr tells The Creators Project, “Everything else was donated by 40 artists and 10 sponsors. I wanted to inspire and show other young people that they can do a lot with a little.”All of the proceeds from the show went directly to the Sanders campaign. Thus far, sales from the donated pieces have amounted to over $10,000 and counting. Among the 40 artists who participated were new media artists Ryder Ripps, Leland Foster, Grayson Earle, and Neil Harbisson. Ripps’ work featured a video installation that allowed members of the popular “Bernie Sanders Dank Meme Stash” Facebook group to Skype into the event, while Earle contributed a video game, wherein users could launch bankers into jail using a joystick.Check out some more images from Weekend With Bernie below:Click here to donate to Bernie Sanders' campaign.Related:Meet The 6 People Living Online For Ryder RippsGIF of the Year: Obama on a SkateboardPainter Reveals 2,307 Obama Portraits (And Counting)
Advertisement