Comunidad
Brenda Munguia - Bipolar Disorders
From the Juror
The works selected for this exhibition were chosen for the various representations of the term Comunidad. Whether its an exchange of a skill, practice, education, or knowledge that has been passed down through communal engagements, these selected works display the interactions and knowledge which have developed our understanding of building community through the cultural practices of the Latinx/Hispanic community.
With the current social climate and critical understanding of our nation’s circumstances, community can be understood in various ways that encompass race, class, and gender. The Spanish term comunidad gives us an even deeper understanding of the term community that is interweaved to the lived experiences of Latinx and Hispanic communities. The artists of this exhibition remind us that our experiences, engagements, exchanges, and interactions in communities continue to develop the cultural tapestry of our social landscape while challenging the ways in which we can creatively explore the idea of community.
Luis-Genaro Garcia
Assistant Professor of Art Education
California State University Sacramento
About the Juror
Inspired by the critical tradition in education, known as Critical Pedagogy, Dr. Luis-Genaro Garcia is an artist, scholar, and former high school art educator. As an educator and artist influenced by the theoretical frameworks of Critical Pedagogy, The Funds of Knowledge, and Critical Race Theory in Education, he draws on art as a tool to challenge the social and political barriers that exist for communities of color.
As an artist, constantly drawing on his experiences as a student and critical educator, he reflects the historical and political experiences of marginalized communities through what he identifies as Social Surrealism. His work is heavily influenced by Mexican Muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros and printmaker Jose Guadalupe Posada; both known for their social and political commentary.
As a long-time public high school educator and professor, he draws on the cultural assets of students and communities as relevant and accessible forms of art. Through this philosophy he believes that students' home knowledge can be used by educators to develop cultural and relevant knowledge that will develop the creativity and independence of students , educators, and communities for social transformation and social change. Dr. Garcia’s vast experience includes developing teacher resources for Self Help Graphics and Art, Pacific Standard Time LA/LA, professional development for educators within the UC and CSU system, and providing accessible art workshops for families across California. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Art Education at California State University Sacramento and continues working with local communities, schools, and arts organizations.
Miguel Espinosa - Marcella Orozco
Photo Credit: LA Times
Luis Genaro Garcia
"Send Them Back" 1953
Acrylic on Newspaper
Participating Artists
Cynthia Alvarado
Pablo Azar
Vincent Benavidez
Francisco Chavira
Alec DeJesus
Jackie Dreamspell
Miguel Espinosa
Ray Gonzales
Brandy González
Sean Guerra
Cheryl L. Guerrero
Íñigo José Guzmán
Frank Lopez-Motnyk
Rogene Mañas
Raul Manzano
Brenda Munguia
Natalie Jauregui-Ortiz
Stan Padilla
Benito Rangel de Maria
Manuel Rios
Jacinto Rivera
Audrey Rodriguez
Eugene Rodriguez
Oscar Ramos-Rodriguez
Joshua Solis
Also Featuring
Trung Cao: Portraiture Through TimeWestpark Workshop Gallery
About the Artist
I'm a conceptual, narrative artist embracing oil painting and graphite as my favorite forms of artistic expression. I’m inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds us, and the stories of antiquity and mythology that contain within them deeper meanings as it relates to our humanity, culture, psyche, and emotion. These stories, real or imaginary, have encapsulated wisdom that we generated interpersonally and behaviorally, and therefore filled with layers of meanings that stand the test of time. I maintain figures as my primary subject matter as I use my artistic expression to transcend the individual, embrace a theme, and reach broader psychological characteristics of humanity. With deep respect and admiration for the discipline of drawing and the craft of traditional techniques, I strive not for photorealism, but a wholehearted realistic endeavor towards creativity and ingenuity in realism.
Trung Cao
Follow Hope
Oil on Canvas
About the Show
Portraiture traditionally answers the need and desire to make a permanent physical record of an individual. Throughout human history, portraiture might be used to indicate beauty, wealth, and other qualities of the sitters. As an artist, I use portraiture as a means to transcend the individual, a challenge to reach broader psychological characteristics of humanity. I strive to capture a story, an emotion, a message, or a sense of aesthetic harmony. I'm inspired by our past, our culture, and our need of expressing and feeling, and to understanding life and the human spirit.
To capture an inviting mood, I create a soft-edge surrounding, guiding the viewer to lock into the serene tone and luminosity of the face with clarity and focus. The directness and simplicity of expression is intentional to let the viewers find their own interest in the perceptual space. As the viewers pass the realism and my appreciation in form, value, and color, and the subject, they might discover a lesson to be learned, an emotion to be experienced, a story to be told, or simply follow the lines, shapes, and colors that satisfy the mathematical harmony of nature I appreciate so much and incorporate into every art piece.
In contemplating portraits, we stand to gain not only the pleasure of an artistic experience, but the added value of a fuller understanding of ourselves. I’m inspired by the naturalism that surrounds us, and our rich history, mythology, and relentless hope of humanity. That inspiration is a gift that passes from one individual to another, one that can be internalized and radiate towards others through art, music, and story. What portraiture means to us through time hasn't changed, because the fundamental nature of who we are is an intrinsic factor we experience through the ages.
-Trung Cao
