Theaster Gates: Are Artists Activists?

'At Emory University, Theaster Gates engages in a conversation on social activism and artists at Emory University. Gates, an award-winning Chicago potter and artists who blends art installation with social practice, is best known for turning abandoned buildings in neglected neighborhoods into vibrant cultural hubs that serve the community. “Theaster Gates embodies an engagement with art, activism, and archives that energizes all of us,” says Rosemary M. Magee, director of the Rose Library. Gates is director of arts and public life at the University of Chicago, where he is a professor of visual arts.' -- Emory University