Artists, Activists, and Outlaws: The History and Future of Free Expression

Please join Oregon Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts for a workshop exploring the history of the First Amendment in the arts.

The history of free expression was written by artists and activists who dared to push the boundaries of what society was ready to hear. In the process, many of them were branded as outlaws and forced to fight their way through the justice system.

This workshop will take a tour through some of the biggest and most explosive First Amendment cases of the last fifty years, discuss the ground rules for free expression in 2019, and then jump forward to discuss a variety of looming issues for the years to come, including free speech on the Internet, the interaction between digital art and political warfare, and censorship in an age where the lines between private corporations and governments get murkier every day.

Presenter: Cam Taylor

Cam Taylor was born and raised in a small town in the South. He studied political science and sociology at Clemson University and then promptly wasted the first half of his twenties driving around the country in a ratty van with his friends playing that kind of stuff your parents called “not music.” A longtime bleeding heart and small-scale activist, he eventually moved to the Left Coast for law school. While attending Lewis & Clark, he worked at several non-profits, including the ACLU of Oregon and Mercy for Animals. After meeting some yahoo public defenders, he got hooked on trial work and never looked back. He’s currently a member of the Major Felony Team at Metropolitan Public Defender in Washington County. He also likes cats, motorcycles, and the First Amendment.

To celebrate Pride month, donations will be accepted at the door to benefit the work of Basic Rights Oregon.