2025 Artists in Action Fellowship Reflections

The Artists in Action Fellowship at the Action Lab aims to deepen the connection between art and social justice. We open space for artists and cultural workers to play a tangible role in our push toward liberation and provide organizers with new creative tools. Below we have reflections from two of our fellows on their experience with the program.

 Fellow Adilka Pimentel focused on poetry with youth organizers and shared this reflection:

“An artist’s duty is to reflect the times,” wrote Nina Simone. Through the fellowship, I had the honor of creating YPP Speaks, a poetry project with youth leaders from Make the Road NY across Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, and Staten Island. For many, it was their first time writing poetry. Together we explored grief, migration, culture, and love–discovering poetry as both healing and resistance. I wrote my first poem at 11. Now I’m holding space for others to discover poetry as healing and resistance. In a time of violence and loss, art reminds us we are still here—and still fighting. Art is the revolution. I’m proud to be part of it.

Fellow Julián Gomez Londoño turned his Action Lab residency focus to immigrants, exploring poetry and songwriting as tools for healing and expression:

“I chose poetry and songwriting because our people’s stories need to be told. This fellowship affirmed my belief in art as resistance–creating in community, healing, and honoring vulnerability. Writing became a powerful exercise, opening space to confront immigration, class struggle, and family. When I shared Yo Soy (‘I Am’), the song we built together, participants called it their anthem–a reminder of resilience and the yearning for freedom and change.”