LumenARRT! is a project of the Artists’ Rapid Response Team (ARRT!). We work through the Union of Maine Visual Artists (UMVA), a members’ organization that advocates for artists and furthers the work of progressive non-profits in the state of Maine. Our video projections, graphic design production, and interactive media projects create a visual voice for these organizations and like electronic graffiti, bring awareness to issues of social, economic, and environmental justice. In addition to issue based messaging we acknowledge the growing need for community to be nurtured, celebrated, and supported. We welcome new members, if you seek to collaborate with others in shining a light on important issues for all of us, get in touch!
The street-based community actions that have surged and grown from every corner of Maine in 2025 have been exciting and energizing. Since our building-sized outdoor illuminations demand darkness and the protests have been organized for the bright light of day, LumenARRT! has focused on using our skills to illuminate, support, and educate in different ways. Virtual projections, geared for social media are one way. Another is a new project titled Know Your Villains. The project is our antidote to the oppressive times dominated by the rise of largely unelected and generally unqualified people to positions of tremendous power and influence. Know Your Villains confronts the cruelty and elitism that oozes from these villains, exposing their nefarious intent with a playful attitude.
These trading card style prints are 4.25 by 5.5 inches, with a glossy surface. One side displays our original portraiture and the villains’ current positions in government. The back has “fun facts,” quotes, suggested actions to counter their powers, and a QR code that will bring viewers to the LumenARRT! website where they can order their very own sets. They are priced to help pay for printing and shipping, and our hope is that instead of collecting these gems, people will pass them out, inform friends and acquaintances of the evils around us. Information is power and we need to know our villains!
Coming this summer are the second batch of Know Your Villains cards, view in the gallery below.
LumenARRT! is out in front of protesting the Tesla dealership coming to Portland, ME! We’re feeling a dystopian vibe, so we’re soliciting good ideas for virtual signs to put on the fence and building! Send us your ideas!
More to come. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky, or contact us and join in! We look forward to seeing you on the street! You can find more images of our work on our website.
Image at top: LumenARRT! Know Your Villains cards.