Posters urge boycott as AI artists take Stamps stage

AI Sparks Boycott Calls at the Penny Stamps Speaker Series

Posters inside the Stamps School of Art & Design urge students to skip two upcoming Penny Stamps Speaker Series talks. The message: "Tell them you don't want to see an art world with AI in it." Some students are also encouraging peers to refuse the required essays tied to the events.

The weekly series is mandatory for Art & Design students and brings working artists in to talk careers, process, and community. This semester, the friction point is AI.

The Flashpoints: Eddie Opara and Marshmallow Laser Feast

Design critic Eddie Opara, who uses AI in parts of his practice, is slated for Nov. 16. Members of Marshmallow Laser Feast follow on Nov. 20; their "Seeing Echoes in the Mind of the Whale" exhibition used AI to enhance details in underwater footage.

The Program's Stance

Director Chrisstina Hamilton said the series invites a wide range of perspectives reflecting contemporary practice. She acknowledged AI is complex and at times controversial, and emphasized the goal is open dialogue where ideas can be discussed, challenged, and understood.

Student Pushback: Role Models, Consent, and Process

Art & Design sophomore Xavier Reyes argues featuring AI-forward artists as role models sends the wrong signal, especially as many classes prohibit AI in assignments. Reyes also flagged ethical concerns: AI systems often train on existing work without explicit permission.

Art & Design sophomore Jasmine Barnes questions authorship and process. If a student must document steps and intent, how do you claim ownership of a piece made by a prompt and an opaque model?

Faculty View: Engage, Don't Ignore

Lecturer Avery Lawrence encourages students to attend and think critically. AI, he says, can remove tedious tasks like resizing elements, much like prior shifts from pen-and-paper to tablets. Exposure helps students decide where they stand-and what they might adopt or reject.

Transparency Friction

Students say the series initially used vague language that made it hard to identify which artists used AI. Word spread through research and conversations, and the posters followed. Many want explicit disclosure, now and going forward.

What This Means for Working Creatives

• Decide your line: pure hand-made, AI-assisted, or AI-native. Make it clear to clients, collaborators, and your audience.
• Ask for disclosure: event organizers and exhibitors should state where and how AI was used.
• Double down on fundamentals: composition, color, storytelling, taste. They transfer across tools and trends.
• Document your process: prompts, references, edits, and human decisions. Process notes build credibility and help with rights questions.
• Respect consent and licensing: use licensed datasets, stock, or your own assets. Avoid gray areas that can undermine your reputation.
• Deliver value beyond execution: concept, curation, and direction are defensible advantages as tools get cheaper and faster.
• Show up and ask hard questions: authorship, provenance, labor, and compensation. Institutions respond to informed, persistent feedback.
• For educators: write clear policies on AI use and assessment. Teach both ethics and technique.
• For institutions: label AI involvement, from concept to post-production, so audiences can make informed judgments.

Dates to Watch

Eddie Opara speaks Nov. 16. Marshmallow Laser Feast follows Nov. 20. Whether you attend or boycott, these events are a live test of how creative communities handle tools that shift the craft and the business.

Helpful Resources

Policy and rights are moving targets. Review guidance from the U.S. Copyright Office on AI and authorship for practical guardrails here.

If you're exploring responsible, career-aligned AI skills for creative work, see curated options for generative art tools.