Projecting Protest: Screening and Panel Discussion

Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) presents the Boston premiere of Projecting Protest, a short film by Washington D.C.-based filmmaker Thomas Clement, on Monday, October 6, 2025 at 6pm in its Tower Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public.

The event will feature a post-screening discussion with Clement, as well as Diane Dwyer, founder of the art collective known as Silence Dogood Boston, and Law Professor Karen Pita-Loor, an expert on protest policing. It will be moderated by James Sullivan, Boston Globe contributor and author of Which Side Are You On?: American History in Protest Music.

is a 22-minute documentary that delves into the rise of unsanctioned light projection as a form of activism in the United States. Over the past decade, activists across the political spectrum have employed this method—using portable, powerful, and inexpensive projectors—to cast protest messages onto buildings and monuments. This practice, often referred to as “temporary graffiti,” has sparked debates about the boundaries of free speech and property rights.

The film features activists from both the left and right, including Robin Bell, known for projecting messages like “Sh*thole” onto the Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C., and Josh Nunes, who projected antisemitic messages in Florida. These actions have led to legal challenges and legislative responses, such as a new Florida law imposing harsh penalties for unsanctioned light projections, particularly those deemed hate messages.

Projecting Protest explores the evolving landscape of protest in the digital age, questioning who has the right to control public spaces and what constitutes protected free speech. The film premiered at DOC NYC in November 2024 and has been featured in various film festivals, including the ACT Human Rights Film Festival and DC/DOX Fest.

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MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN (MassArt)is a public, independent institution that prepares artists, designers,and educators to shape communities, economies, and cultures for the common good. One of the top colleges of its kind in the United States since its founding in 1873, MassArt has built a legacy of leadership as the first freestanding public college of art and design in the country, and the nation’s first art school to grant a degree. The College offers a comprehensive range of certificate, undergraduate and graduate degrees in art, design, and art education. MassArt is also home to the MassArt Art Museum (MAAM), a free contemporary art museum professionally curated to enrich the academic curriculum and make contemporary art an accessible experience for all.

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