Mia Lasic-Ellis

On Saturday, January 18, the Electric Cottage Collective (ECC) hosted an art-build entitled “Art Build: Defeat Trump’s Extreme-Right Billionaire Agenda” in preparation for the “Maine Progressive Groups Rally to Protest Trump’s Agenda.” Participants at the art-build had the opportunity to collaborate and create posters for the Sunday protest.

The ECC, located on Pleasant Street in Brunswick, welcomes individuals aged 18 and older for creative coworking, classes and community events. The space includes a mini-library, a kitchenette and shared art supplies.

Liz Kovarsky, who hosted the ECC art-build, explained the important role of art in protest. Besides the use of art to communicate ideas, she noted how art-builds allow for community building and being present.

“Especially in this period of time, there are so many competing interests, and the news cycle is absolutely astounding how fast things are moving,” Kovarsky said. “So any opportunities that we can get into the community and practice presence together are also really important.”

Kovarsky highlighted how engaging in activism can take place in a variety of ways.

“There are so many ways to do activism, and it’s not always just going to the protest,” Kovarsky said. “There are so many things you can do. And even a small thing, like hosting a space for an art-build, is one of the things.”

With posters made at the ECC in hand, many people attended the protest in Monument Square in Portland on Sunday, joining numerous organizations in protesting President Donald Trump. The organizations present were involved in human rights, labor, environmental issues, immigration, socialism and more. Kovarsky noted the strength of the diversity of viewpoints involved in the movement against Trump.

“We have so much more in common than we do our differences,” Kovarsky said. “So I think the coming together of all these different groups and organizations felt really powerful to me.”

James Fields, an organizer of the rally, spoke first. He listed the recent actions of the Trump administration, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, denial of trans identity, cancellation of funding for renewable energy projects, expansion of oil drilling and increased weapons aid to Israel. He then pushed for unity in the fight against Trump.

“No one group and no one sector of society is strong or numerous enough to resist the US government, especially as it tilts farther into a fascist political economy,” Fields said. “We have to work with people of different ideologies and different organizations in order to build a broad based mass movement that’s capable of winning this fight.”

The crowd cheered as different speakers from organizations such as the Southern Maine Workers’ Center, Independent Socialist Group, the Portland branch of the Revolutionary Communists of America, the Green Party and more took the microphone. Many speakers embraced socialist and communist ideals, including Angus McFarland of the Independent Socialist Group.

“With the help of unions, we could build a new party of, for and by the working class,” McFarland said. “A workers’ party completely free of corporate money and corporate interests can serve as an alternative to the hated Democrats and Republicans in the elections.”

To Kovarsky, the art-build and protest should be a reminder to all of the importance of getting involved in the issues that one cares about.

“Find other folks that care about the same things as you and get engaged in some way,” Kovarsky said. “Do one thing, do something, anything, even if it’s just having conversations and then going from there to try to figure out how to organize something.”

The ECC welcomes all to create and workshop with others as well as attend various classes offered, including a one-hour burlesque drawing event on February 13 at 5:45 p.m., followed by a pride fundraiser at The Abbey on Maine Street.

“What we’re doing at the Electric Cottage Collective isn’t new or radical,” Kovarsky said. “What we’re actually doing is coming together from many different viewpoints and backgrounds and saying, ‘Okay, we all really do care about some really basic things.’”