Indigenous Activists Animate Nationwide Public Art Campaign in 11 U.S. Cities

Amplifier, the design lab behind the powerful We The People campaign that circled the globe during the 2017 Womens' March, is releasing AMPLIFIER AR, the new activist-driven augmented reality platform, now available for free download worldwide.

In the week before one of the most important elections in American history, AMPLIFIER AR allows viewers to hear directly from Indigenous movement leaders Gregg Deal, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, and IllumiNative Director Crystal EchoHawk, along with BIPOC activists Nikkita Oliver, Tracy Rector, and Mer Young, about timely topics like climate justice, community organizing, the relationship between Black liberation and Indigenous sovereignty, and more.

This first iteration of AMPLIFIER AR launches with four artworks from Amplifier's Every Day Is Indigenous Peoples' Day campaign, which was launched on Indigenous Peoples' Day in collaboration with Nia Tero and IllumiNative: Shepard Fairey's portrait of Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, and three artworks by Mer Young featuring Black and Indigenous activists Angela Davis, Pretty Nose, Audre Lorde, and Mary Ann Pierre Topseeh Coombs.

Over 50,000 analog copies of these artworks already exist around the country as posters in schools and homes and in businesses as stickers and postcards, all of which can now be activated by AMPLIFIER AR. To expand this campaign even more, the four artworks have been distributed around the country as large-scale murals and projections in Seattle, Anchorage, Boulder, New York, Portland, and Los Angeles. The art will also be on national digital billboard placements in Baltimore, Cleveland, Denver, San Antonio, and St. Louis. Physical, printed artworks are also being sent to community groups for distribution in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawai'i, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

"Using Amplifier's massive platform and deep well of artists to magnify the voices of young Indigenous leaders like Xiutezcatl Martinez and the Earth Guardians was an easy choice, especially at this pivotal moment in American history," said Amplifier Founder Aaron Huey. "Young Indigenous voices are absolutely vital to the national dialogue, and our goal with AMPLIFIER AR is to open up deeper conversations between friends, family, children, and parents about what a more equitable and inclusive future can look like."

"As a long time social justice advocate, it's uplifting to see Indigenous and Black solidarity movements thrive in the face of intense divisions. It's an honor to weave together our voices in uplifting this inspiring imagery of shared liberation and strength." said Tracy Rector, Nia Tero's Managing Director of Storytelling.

Future campaigns will come to life via AMPLIFIER AR on an ongoing basis. The platform transforms Amplifier's iconic artworks into immersive, powerful calls to action, allowing viewers to hear directly from activists and artists using their cell phones, leading to deeper conversations about today's most pressing issues. All artwork will be made available for free download at Amplifier.org. AMPLIFIER AR is made possible with generous support from the Pop Culture Collaborative's Becoming America Fund.

A full map of artwork locations can be found at amplifier.org/AR.

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