Tom Block

Teaches at Institute of Prophetic Activist Art

Tom Block is an artist, writer and activist best known for the development and implementation an activist art theory, “Prophetic Activist Art.” He developed this model through his own work, and published the theory as a manifesto/handbook in 2014 (Prophetic Activist Art: Handbook for a Revolution, Centre for Human Ecology, Scotland). He then founded the Institute of Prophetic Activist Art at Dixon Place (NYC), where he teaches this model and runs activist art programs.

Mr. Block’s activist art career spans nearly two decades. He devised and implemented the Human Rights Painting Project (2002-present), in conjunction with Amnesty International. This project entailed him painting portraits of human rights defenders from around the world and exhibiting them with biographies. The paintings have been shown more than 30 times around the USA and Europe.

Mr. Block also devised and implemented the first international human rights art festival in the United States.