Across the country, members of the architecture and design community are standing up to escalating violence from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by shutting down operations. This move is a part of January 30’s General Strike, which has been called for by student unions and labor organizations at the University of Minnesota as well as by national grassroots organization 50501, which organized the No Kings protests. Organizers are calling for a national shutdown: “No work, no school, no shopping. Stop funding ICE.”
This call follows a historic statewide strike that took place in Minnesota on January 23, called the “Day of Truth and Freedom”strike. The strike was organized by local union organizers and faith leaders.
Last week, Minnesota design firms including Snow Kreilich Architects, TEN × TEN, and Christian Dean Architecture closed their offices in support of their local community. The economic blackout was sparked in part by the killing of Minnesota resident Renée Nicole Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross and call for the withdrawal of ICE agents from Minnesota. In an announcement posted to Instagram last Friday, Snow Kreilich wrote, “This unified statewide pause reinforces Minnesota’s collective power and commitment to community.”
The movement toward a national general strike is the result of widespread outrage as ICE has continued to ramp up operations in Minnesota as well as in cities including Chicago, New York City, Phoenix, and throughout the state of Texas. On January 24, a day after the “Day of Truth and Freedom” strike, protestor Alex Pretti was killed in Minneapolis by an ICE agent.
In an interview with AN, Minneapolis-based architecture and design firm, keep, said it is choosing to strike again on January 30. “Our solidarity stems from working and living under a city occupied by ICE and our ability to lead by example,” it said. They acknowledged that they are able to do so because they are a smaller firm, and added that their decision is a reflection of the dire circumstances in their home city. “We have seen ICE agents driving on our streets while visiting local job sites or going to get groceries. We have witnessed families torn apart, neighbors racially profiled, and U.S. citizens illegally detained,” the firm’s leadership said.
Elsewhere in the country, architects, designers, galleries, and institutions have taken to social media to announce closures in anticipation of the general strike.
Pasadena, California–based design studio Bernatz Studio, selected for AN Interior’s Top 50 list last year, posted a statement to Instagram about its participation in the general strike writing, “We stand in solidarity with the people of Minnesota, those in the building + design communities and those protecting our most vulnerable.”
In Portland, Hacker Architects announced that it would also be closing their offices on Instagram, writing, “We stand in solidarity with communities near and far and invite other local architecture & design firms to stand with us.” Portland-based office Observation Studio is also closed today.
Georgia-based art and public space nonprofit Dashboard also took to Instagram to show solidarity, writing, “Our office will be closed in solidarity with The Somali Student Association, U of MN Black Student Union, U of MN Ethiopian Student Association, & U of MN Liberian Student Association’s call for a national general strike to end ICE terror and authoritarianism.”
Los Angeles design studio Social Studies Projects also signed on to the general strike adding, “This moment touches many members of our team and the broader builder community we’re part of, and we feel called to pause our regular work for the day in solidarity.”
In the art world, Marian Goodman Gallery announced it would be closing its New York and Los Angeles galleries on social media, writing, “We are shocked and outraged by the brutal killings of Silverio Villegas González, Keith Porter Jr., Renee Good, and Alex Pretti by federal agents. We urge those who are able to contact their representatives and demand an end to unchecked ICE violence and immigration enforcement abuses.” (Its namesake, Marian Goodman, died recently at 97.) David Zwirner’s galleries in New York and Los Angeles are also closed today.
Showing Support
Many have issued statements in solidarity with the general strike, but have pointed out that many small businesses can’t afford to close for the day..
Brooklyn design bookstore Head Hi shared a statement to its Instagram story writing, “Small art organizations and businesses like ours (Mexican owned) are already affected by the bad economy.” Instead they announced they would remain open, prompting customers to vote with their dollar by boycotting companies like Amazon that actively support ICE instead.
Some Minnesota firms will also not be officially joining the general strike following their participation in last week’s strike.
TEN × TEN principals Ross Altheimer and Maura Rockcastle told AN, “Our firm is super supportive of the general strike. We are not closing, but we give our employees full agency and support to make the decision that is best for them in how they want to participate.” In the meantime, they are focusing on “supporting our friends, neighbors, and communities in a myriad of ways every day to maintain new infrastructures of care that are counteracting the major disruption that the ICE occupation is causing.”
Architect Christian Dean, whose firm will also not be striking, told AN “It’s great to see the national support for what we all started here locally but I do think the continued economic burden is hard for many of our local small businesses to sustain.” He added that on a local scale, Minnesotans are now focusing on supporting local businesses and restaurants who are experiencing economic challenges as a result of ICE’s presence.
Resources and Donations
Beyond the national strike, efforts are being made throughout the country to support local organizations working with immigrants as well as to educate the broader community on their rights.
In a post on Instagram, design collective (and former Facades+ Los Angeles co-chair) RIOS provided a resource guide for community members to contact U.S. senators, who are currently voting on a funding bill that allocates $10 billion to ICE. The firm pointed to organizations like the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Immigrant Justice Network/ Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and Immigrant Defenders Law Center and wrote, “Diversity, empathy, and respect are core to who we are. Act with us.”
→ Continue reading at The Architect's Newspaper
