Transformative Arts

COMMUNITY BUILDING THROUGH ART

VANESSA GERMAN: THE ARTIST CHANNELS 33 INTIMATE TECHNOLOGIES OF SOUL OPENING NOVEMBER 18, 2021 THROUGH JANUARY 31, 2022. THE ARTIST CHANNELS 33 INTIMATE TECHNOLOGIES OF SOUL

JUNE EDMONDS AND KORI NEWKIRK ARTIST RESIDENCIES PLEASE JOIN TRANSFORMATIVE ARTS IN CELEBRATING JUNE EDMONDS FIRST MAJOR MONOPRINT COLLECTION ENTITLED JUNE HAUL AND MADE IN COLLABORATION WITH MASTER PRINTER FRANCESCO SIQUEIROS AT EL NOPAL PRESS. JUNE HAUL FOCUSES ON TWO IDEAS - EDMONDS' MASTERFUL COLOR MAKING AND THE ICONOGRAPHY OF HER PRACTICE. IN THE PRINTS MADE DURING HER RESIDENCY, SHE REARTICULATES HER EYE/PORTAL SYMBOL IN INTIMATE SCALE. EACH MONOPRINT CONTAINS THIS VISUAL LANGUAGE IN A UNIQUE COLOR THAT EDMONDS CREATED WHILE THE LINOCUT WAS ON THE NOPAL PRESS. IN CONVERSATION WITH TRANSFORMATIVE ARTS FOUNDER JILL MONIZ AND NOPAL'S SIQUEIROS ABOUT EMOTION, TEXTUAL AND LIGHT, EDMONDS ADDED COLOR TO EACH RUN ON THE PRESS, CREATING OVER 100 ART WORKS. NEWKIRK'S GLITTERING FACES AND ASHY ANKLES HONORS TRANSFORMATIVE ARTS' DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES NEIGHBORHOOD USING MATERIALS FROM OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE TOY AND FASHION DISTRICTS. NEWKIRK EXPLORES NEW AND OLD IDEAS FROM HIS OEUVRE INCLUDING HIS ANTENNA SERIES SIGNIFYING THE ANALOG CONNECTIONS IN JEOPARDY IN THE DIGITAL AGE. HIS USE OF PLASTIC UTENSILS AND SOCKS DISTRIBUTED BY THE SKID ROW HOUSING TRUST SPEAKS TO THE PRECARIOUS NATURE OF BLACK SURVIVAL IN DOWNTOWN LA. PROGRAMS INCLUDED COLLABORATIONS WITH DOODLES WITHOUT BORDERS AND REDISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS USED DURING THE RESIDENCIES.

ADORNMENT ARTIFACT HIGHLIGHTS THE AFRICAN DIASPORIC AESTHETIC LINEAGES OF ANCIENT NUBIA IN LOS ANGELES. HOUSED IN FIVE SITES ACROSS THE ACROSS THE CITY: EASTERN PROJECTS IN CHINATOWN, BAND OF VICES GALLERY IN WEST ADAMS; BALDWIN HILLS CRENSHAW MALL ON CRENSHAW, TRANSFORMATIVE ARTS AND THE GETTY VILLA. ADORNMENT ARTIFACT INVESTIGATES MEMORY, MATERIAL AND MEANING THROUGH TWO DISTINCT, YET INTEGRATED RESPONSES TO THE JEWELS OF ANCIENT NUBIA EXHIBITION AT THE GETTY VILLA. CURATED TO INCLUDE OVER 60 LOS ANGELES BASED (OR TRAINED) ARTISTS AND WITH THE INCLUSION OF HISTORIC AFRICAN ART, ADORNMENT ARTIFACT OFFERS APPROACHES TO THE LANGUAGE, MATERIAL AND CONTEXT OF ANCIENT NUBIA. TWO VIDEOS WERE PRODUCED FOR THE EXHIBITION, ALL ARTISTS RECEIVED 1000 HONORARIUM, SELECTED ARTISTS RECEIVED MATERIALS SUPPORT. ALL SITES WERE CELEBRATED WITH PUBLIC OPENINGS, TALKS, PERFORMANCES, AND DOCUMENTATION. AN OPEN CALL TO THE COMMUNITY PRODUCED OVER 300 UNIQUE ARTWORKS THAT WERE DISPLAYED THEN DISTRIBUTED TO OUR SKID ROW NEIGHBORHOOD.