performance art

noun

: a nontraditional art form often with political or topical themes that typically features a live presentation to an audience or onlookers (as on a street) and draws on such arts as acting, poetry, music, dance, or painting
performance artist noun

Examples of performance art in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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And, for decades, its fine arts program has been viewed as a West Coast hub for everything from performance art, in the early 1970s, to digital art in the early 2000s. Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 11 June 2025 First, both threats are fanciful to the point of serving as performance art. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2025 Attendees enjoyed performance art, dance and local artist performances. Zuri Primos, Kansas City Star, 8 June 2025 Creator and longtime judge Simon Cowell is looking back on nearly two decades of singing, dancing, comedy, magic, dog tricks, performance art, acrobatics, and so much more by shouting out his 20 favorite moments from the show. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 27 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for performance art

Word History

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of performance art was in 1971

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Cite this Entry

“Performance art.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/performance%20art. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.

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