Un joven puede tener piedras, palos, pistolas o cañones; aun así, si no tiene educación, está completamente desarmado.
Un giovane può avere pietre, spranghe, pistole o cannoni; ma anche così, se non ha l’istruzione, è completamente disarmato.
CSUN de M.E.Ch.A. in collaboration with other student orgs held their annual event End-Dependence last night in Northridge. Im:arte participated by tabling and fundraising for our AB540 student scholarship. Im:arte’s Carol “Mocabel” Belisa Montes was also on hand doing her famous face painting on students and community members in attendance. Im:arte would like to thank M.E.Ch.A. for allowing us to be a part of this great event. (Photographs courtesy of Omar A. Ramírez)
The Sound Strike Benefit Exhibit featuring Pro-Migrant Artwork, 1 DAY only in LA! Fri. July 29
If you are want to see some of the hottest artwork by artists from around the country who are dealing with the subjects of immigration, xenophobia, borders, and pro-migrant activism - then DON’T MISS the 1-day only show in Los Angeles, California - this Friday, July 29th @ 6 pm.
Check out the video appeal above.
A Pro-Migrant Art Exhibit
Friday, July 29, 2011, Starting @ 6 pm
SEIU - 828 West Washington Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90015-3310.
This Friday, The Sound Strike is organizing a Boycott Hatred Benefit Concert to benefit grassroots organizations in Arizona. This event will bring the LA community together with art, live music, a panel discussion, food and local vendors with the purpose of raising awareness and strengthening to pro-migrant movement.
The exhibit will open at 6 pm, and features an array of designers, street artists, painters, printmakers, and photographers. The artists include: Lalo Alcaraz, Hertz Alegrio, Steve Alfaro, Santiago Armengod, Rafael Cardenas, Ozzie Carmona, Jesus Barraza & Melanie Cervantes of Dignidad Rebelde, Juan Luis Garcia, Jon Garza, Art Hazelwood, Raymundo M. Hernandez-Lopez (ARYER), Victor Zuñiga, lapiztola oaxaca, Ricardo Levins Morales, Aaron Andrew Martin, Cesar Maxit,Doug Minkler, Mokhtar P99, Diane Ovalle, Favianna Rodriguez, Erik Ruin, Julio Salgado,Victor Sepulveda, Dewey Tafoya, Manny Torres, Justin Valas, Mark Vallen, Russell Varner, Ernesto Vasquez, Ernesto Yerena.
Favianna Rodriguez will be working on a special installation throughout the exhibit, so be there on time to see the work evolve into the final piece.
UNHEARD VOICE
By: Leticia Hernandez
2010, Acrylic on Canvas
Copyright © 2010-2011 im:arte. All content and artworks is prohibited to be copied, reproduced or used in any form without the consent of im:arte and/or artist.
UNAFRAID
By Víctor Zúñiga
2011, Digital.
I woke up one morning thinking of all the sacrifices that AB540 (Undocumented) students have to go through in order to survive. It’s a story I have in common with other people in my situation. Usually this is how it goes, we work 2 to 3 jobs, and in an effort to save money for school, for which we do not receive any kind of financial aid, sometimes we don’t eat or sleep as much as a normal human being is supposed to. We exploit public transportation, which should count as saving the environment. We face the daily threat of deportation, “la migra” as the usual suspect. And we are living in secret, invisible to the eyes of many.
DREAMERS abandoning their fears were my inspiration. There wasn’t any other way to put it; we are super heroes, and now we are unafraid.
Copyright © 2010-2011 im:arte. All content and artworks is prohibited to be copied, reproduced or used in any form without the consent of im:arte and/or artist.
Nation-State Border Constructs: Expressions of Neo-Colonialism
Acrylic on canvas
12”x40”
By: Omar A. Ramírez
Nation-State Border Constructs depicts the militarization of the U.S./Mexican border and the untold number of deaths of unauthorized workers who have attempted to cross it; resulting in mass deaths. Within the border’s construct is a giant spine, which signifies the labor and worker exploitation migrants face once they successfully cross into the U.S. The faces seen on the U.S.-side of the border conveys the wide spectrum view toward the migrants and the other side shows the impending death rattle collected by their bones.
The nation-state constructs of jus soli (“right of the soil/territory”) and jus sanguinis (“right of blood”) continue to impede on peoples lives with dire consequences. This is illustrated by deportation cases such as Elvira Arellano, who was seperated and deported away from her U.S. born son and Victoria Arellano (1984-2007) who, under the custody of ICE, was repeatedly denied medication and died from complications of AIDS. As an HIV+ trans of color undocumented immigrant, Victoria Arellano defied nation-state border/gender-specific constructs and layed her body to rest in multiple localities. These realities are a part of the muli-layers of oppression toward people of color.
Copyright © 2010-2011 im:arte. All content and artworks is prohibited to be copied, reproduced or used in any form without the consent of im:arte and/or artist.
(I) Support the Dream Act
By: Raymundo M. Hernandez-Lopez
2008, Digital
In 2008, while undocumented immigrant students throughout the state of California organized to lobby in support of federal dream act, I decided to create my first visual statement to help spread awareness of the movement. I support the dream act/Support the dream act is an image I created, which is read in two forms; as a personal statement and as a statement towards the viewer. The cap and gown represent the letter “I” as a personal statement, and also a representation of an undocumented immigrant student wearing the cap and gown without having an identity. This logo has been produced in t-shirts, flyers, banners, mouse paths, and clear window decal in order to reach a broader audience. The motive for the t-shirt concept was for people to wear the design as a form of endorsement, support, encouragement and personal ad. It also gave the opportunity to educate others about the dream act, and the issues of undocumented students. In addition, the design on the t-shirts was used to fund raise for a scholarship that would benefit dreamers in higher education.
In June 23, 2009, the logo made a huge impact at the Los Angeles city hall during a dream act mock graduation, organized by Dream Team Los Angeles (DTLA), an undocumented immigrant student group made up of undocumented immigrant students and alumnus from local universities around Los Angeles. High school and college graduated students participated in the event to speak about their stories, the dream act, and struggles to media networks and city politicians. The mock graduation event also took place in Washington D.C. and other states in solidarity with dreamers around the nation, and to have a bigger impact. The banner was printed on a ten-foot wide by five-foot high vinyl banner, to create a bold statement to city, state and federal politicians.
The visual logo has become a method to communicate the main bold message to businesses, state and federal legislators, and the Obama administration. In 2009, an undocumented immigrant student, who had the opportunity to have dinner with a cabinet member of the Obama administrator, gave a t-shirt to the cabinet member to be delivered to President Obama as a message. As the designer of the logo, I can only hope the shirt was successfully delivered to president Obama, as a significant and loud message from undocumented immigrant students throughout the nation who fight on a daily basis for the passage of the Dream Act. Although I will never know if the shirt made it to the President, the logo has played an important role in the movement as a visual method of support, encouragement, and creating awareness about the Dream Act.
Copyright © 2010-2011 im:arte. All content and artworks is prohibited to be copied, reproduced or used in any form without the consent of im:arte and/or artist.
[Please click on the title above for the article link]
Please read the new article by Color Lines entitled “Young Activists Use Art to Fight for the DREAM Act” which covers our recent collaborative art exhibit “Intersecting Realities: Visions of Immigrant Narratives” held at the UCLA Labor Center on June 18. It already looks like the article is being spread like wildfire via Twitter! =)
Im:arte works that appear in the article come from our very own Raymundo M. Hernandez Lopez, Carol Belisa, and Laura Flores. Also included in the article are great works by Julio Salgado and by photographer Pocho-One. Contributing im:arte artists not presented in the article who deserve honorable mention include Leticia Hernandez and Omar A. Ramírez (see their works on our website imarte.org under Portfolio). Check out our last Tumblr entry for pics from the event. You can also follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imarte.art
Special thanks to Color Lines for covering our event.
Intersecting Realities: Visions of Immigrant Narratives took place at the UCLA Labor Center in Los Angeles on June 18, 2011. The im:arte collective was excited to be a part of this collaborative event spearheaded by Nancy Guaneros. The event was inspired and dedicated to the life and work of Cinthya Felix and Tam Tran, two great women Dream Act leaders who passed away last May.
Intersecting Realities displayed works from artists in the im:arte collective, Pocho1, and Julio Salgado. There were tasty drinks and food catered to the three hundred plus people who attended. There was also the short film premier from Dreamers Adrift along with guest speakers and spoken word performances by Janet Gonzalez, Jesus Iniguez, Mariella Saba and Erick ‘El Random Hero’ Huerta. It was soon after that La Chamba performed and the crowd started grooving to their music. It was an amazing night packed with an eclectic assortment of talent and positive energy!
Photographs courtesy of Omar A. Ramírez
Today marks the birthday of the great muralist artist radical David Alfaro Siqueiros (b. December 29, 1896). Earlier this month, members of the im:arte collective were fortunate enough to attend the “Siqueiros in Los Angeles: Censorship Defied” exhibit held at the Autry National Center museum. Here are a few images taken on the day of the im:arte excursion. The exhibit will end on Jan. 9; make sure to check out this dynamic, visceral, revolutionary art which, as a comrade recently stated, plagiarists/artists-for-sale like Shepard Fairey can’t even touch…
