New La Gente Issue Cover
RIP Richard Duardo
Thank you for all the support. You will be missed. RIP my friend.
RIP Sam Coronado
I am sad to say that Sam Coronado passed away November 11th. I had the honor of working with Sam and the great staff from the Serie Project while on a short residency in May of this year. Sam was an accomplished artist and tireless promoter of the arts. He was the founder of the Serie Project and Coronado Studio, co-founder of Mexic-Arte Museum, and a contributor to many other organizations and worked closely with many artists.
To find out more about the work of Sam and the Serie project or if you would like to make a donation to the Serie Project, please follow the link below.
Migration Now Print
As a delegate for the Culture/Strike in 2011 that visited Arizona’s border along with many fellow artist, writers and activist, Oscar was asked to contribute to the Migration Now print portfolio. Here is the accompanying text to his print.
Magallanes has spent many years painting the ubiquitous street vendor or the man selling fruit on the corner, the very same people he says have been scapegoated as “parasites sucking the economy dry. We are told this as we watch the bank bailouts. At least the street vendor is actually moving a product and puts money right back into the economy,” Magallanes said. “We need to think about the fair and equal treatment of all individuals, especially those who embody the American dream of coming to the U.S. to flee poverty and persecution, which is usually the result of failed U.S. foreign policy.”
Cesar Chavez National Monument
I was honored to have been asked to create the commemorative poster for the Cesar Chavez National Monument Inauguration as a National Monument. Worked with Paul Chavez, Arturo Rodriguez and my good friend Alfonso Trujillo on getting the design and 10,000 copies of the posters done in a few days. Here is an image of the final poster and some shots from the day. President Obama himself oversaw the ceremony. I volunteered and ended up checking in the VIP. Some people in attendance beside many members of the Chavez family and 7,000 supporters were Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar, Mayor Marie Lopez, LA City Controller Wendy Greuel, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and many others. Governor Brown was uninvited. No Joke.
Levitt Pavilion Calendar Cover
When I was 15 I started driving out to LA from Azusa. I had just been accepted into Ryman Arts. At the time classes where held at the original Otis campus which is across the street from Macarthur Park. That campus is now Charles White Elementary. For a year and a half I received art instruction by some amazing artist as well as having guest artist like Kent Twitchell stopping by. It was the first time I had any art instruction and the first time someone told me I could be an artist. This along with my first real venturing into the city and especially into the Westlake area in the early 90’s would make it one of the most pivotal times of my life.
So when the great folks over at the Levitt Pavilion asked me to design their calendar cover I immediately said yes. Levitt Pavilion MacArthur Park is a 501c3. Founded in 2007 to restore the historic band shell in MacArthur Park and present 50 free summer concerts annually in order to make live music and the arts accessible to all.
Here is a preview of the calendar.
We Are All…
