Register for virtual Show & Tell: PandemiDiarios and the Role of Community Art in the Pandemic
With our partners UA Libraries Special Collections, Confluencenter is thrilled to announce the unveiling of the digital archive of PandemiDiarios-supported projects. To help us celebrate, please register and join us for a virtual event on Tuesday, December 8th 4:00-5:30 PM MST, to hear from three of the PandemiDiarios grantee artists about their work, process, and evolving role in the creative community during the pandemic.
This event will also be live-streamed via Facebook Live.
About the panelists:
Pita Juarez is a filmmaker, journalist, and political communications strategist in Arizona. Juarez is a queer immigrant woman from Guatemala who works to uplift the story of marginalized people through effective and compelling storytelling.
Pita received critical acclaim as the director and producer of the award-winning documentary “You Racist, Sexist Bigot” (2018) and this year for the PandemiDiarios supported short film “La Morena.” Although the filmmakers were forced to modify their creative processes with the arrival of COVID-19, the project was ultimately completed. Juarez states, “Art heals, it brings awareness and brings community together in solidarity. More than ever, we need messages like this and to be creative about how we tell our stories even with limited resources.”
Follow the filmmaker @pitajs on Instagram, @pitaJ on Twitter.
Yurika Isoe is a textile artist who is passionate about changing our relationship to what we wear. Through her roles in both the SUBSPACE art collective and Arizona Citizens for the Arts, Yurika uses her position to advocate for and uplift those who are marginalized. In the realm of textiles, her work asks us to envision a clothing industry which models the ethics of sustainability, mutual aid, and resilience, that is regenerative and adaptive to changing needs.
Follow the artist on Instagram @yurika.xlsx and at eurekatextiles.com
Mel “Melo” Dominguez is an artist and muralist whose work is a direct expression of their Chicanx culture, political issues, social issues and environmental issues. In 2018, Dominguez opened Galeria Mitotera in the City of South Tucson as a community arts space that focuses on uplifting local artists of color, and holding a safe space for all. In 2020, the temporary closure of the gallery mandated a new, creative approach. Mel’s interview series, “Art Chats con La Mitotera” featured live interviews with local artists who share what they’ve been creating during the pandemic, what has been inspiring them, and their current struggles. Through Art Chats, outdoor markets, and virtual paint nights, Mel has modeled what creative adaptation in the pandemic can look like.
Follow the artist and watch past Art Chats @galeriamitotera on Instagram or Facebook