Forward Union
Established in New York City in 2016 by five art workers, Forward Union was a volunteer-run, coalition-building initiative that connected social justice organizations, artists, and creative communities with one another in order to amplify support for critical issues at stake as a result of the 2016 Presidential Election.
Forward Union Fair
Our annual marquee event, Forward Union Fair, was a free community fair that convened representatives from social justice organizations alongside topical art installations and public programs to address a diverse range of activist themes and issues, from reproductive rights to environmental justice.
Forward Union produced public programming from 2016 to 2019. We were awarded two consecutive Art & Social Justice grants from the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, and received support from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, NURTUREart, and Red Bull Arts.
What now?
Forward Union wound down our operations in 2020. We are incredibly proud of what our team accomplished, and we continue to believe in the value of building stronger links between artists, activists, and their communities.
This site is now an archive of our work, which we hope will continue to connect interested folks with the amazing artists, activists, and organizations who partnered with Forward Union.
Thank you to everyone who believed in our mission, supported our pursuits, and participated in our programming.
Co-Founders
Julia Clark, Lauren M Jones, Jennie Lamensdorf, Rachel Nackman, Holly Shen
Lead Organizers
Maggie Albert, Heather Darcy Bhandari, Grace Earle, Abbie Hebein, Allison Kadin, Becky Laughner, Elizabeth Masters, Nicole Rodill, Rachel Selekman, Lauren Thorpe
