More people identify as organizers and activists than ever before, with good reason. The world faces structural and mutually intensifying crises–ecological, social, cultural, political, economic, and perhaps even spiritual–which urgently demand unprecedented consciousness and creative action.
In response, the Latino Cultural Arts Center (LCAC) in Colorado is launching an innovative residence program, Popul/Arte that merges art and research. Their mission is to bring higher education to the public at no cost and through the creative arts.
Academia can give people the tools to lift their communities through knowledge, creativity, art, and innovation. However, it is inaccessible financially and mostly reluctant to communicate clearly with non-specialist audiences. Popul/Arte seeks to change that by bringing theory back to the people.
The world needs answers now more than ever: how do we transform violence and build peace?
The LCAC announced Michael Wilson-Becerril, Ph.D. as the inaugural scholar. Wilson-Becerril is an activist-scholar from México City, México, specialized in political ecologies of violence, resistance, and peace, with an emphasis in Latin América. The mission behind his organizing and academic work is to synthesize, practice, and disseminate what is needed to dismantle injustice and build meaningful peace.
LCAC also announced Mayara Smith, Camila Parreiras, Dailey Gonçalves, Jéssica Goés, Leticia Moreno from Negráfrica, as the inaugural artists. Negráfrica is a Brazilian artist collective specializing in different mediums such as comics, photography, painting, drawing and poetry. Their art is focused on investigating identity, race, and their experiences as Black women.
Together, Wilson-Becerril and Negráfrica will focus on the themes of “Peace and Conflict in Latin America: Violence, Resistance, and Social Justice”—creating eight workshops this Spring on how to make change, from everyday artivism and grassroots organizing to institutional and international advocacy.
The world needs answers now more than ever: how do we transform violence and build peace? Popul/Arte will take an interdisciplinary approach while centering Latin American arts, cultures, and histories in pursuit of this question. The materials from this artist-scholar residency will be available online to the widest audience possible through free and engaging multimedia. Michael and Negráfrica will be available to provide technical assistance and resources to artists and educators interested in these topics.
Popul/Arte will culminate in the public presentation of a co-created art project that lives in the LCAC Library and is accessible to all.
Popul/Arte Workshop Schedule: Popul/Arte will offer two weekly virtual workshops over four weeks, launching May 18th, 2021, at 6 PM, that are free to all. On Tuesdays, at 6pm, lectures will explore decolonial approaches to peace, conflict and environmental justice. In conjunction with the weekly topics, on Saturdays, at 1pm, art workshops will introduce the audience to Brazlian concepts of making art with resources around you to amplify your creative expression and voice.
Week 1: Tue., May 18, from 6 PM to 7:30 PM, Imagining Latin America; and Sat., May 22, from 1 PM to 2:30 PM, Seeing Through Your Window // O que você vê da sua janela?
Week 2: Tue., May 25, from 6 PM to 7:30 PM, Violence, Colonialism, and Militarism; and Sat., May 29, from 1 PM to 2:30 PM, Fanzine // Produção de zine
Week 3: Tue., Jun. 01, from 6 PM to 7:30 PM, Resisting Violence and Organizing Peace; and Sat., Jun. 05, from 1 PM to 2:30 PM, Improvised Art Collage // Arte da Gambiarra and Fotografia pelo telefone.
Week 4: Tue., Jun. 08, from 6 PM to 7:30 PM, Environmental Crisis and Decolonial Futures; and Sat. Jun. 12, from 1 PM to 2:30 PM, Eco-Painting // Terra Como Pintura.
Popul/Arte registration is now open at http://bit.ly/popul-arte.
Visit LCAC-denver.org to learn more about arte, cultura, and historia.
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