The Very Very Very Long Day

Systemic & Racial Injustice

COVID-19 has shed light on the historic systematic inequities that affect people of color, AND communities THAT have been impacted the most, yet receive the least amount of resources. With growing frustrations and weariness stemming from the nation’s unstable state, the video of George Floyd’s killing further exacerbated frustrations and anger, fueling momentum FOR THE Black Lives Matter movement. TVVVLD artists honor the recent victims of police brutality, of COVID-19 and address TOPICS SUCH AS institutional racism, the threat to democracy and human rights, immigration, and continued family separationS.

The artist Ariel Mar and Dalila Paola Mendez both bring forth images in their work that encapsulate the layers of the human experience today. Gabriella Claro’s black on black glitter painting with embroidered portraits OF Aiyana Jones and Tamir Rice REPRESENT young BLACK lives taken by violence AND REpresents the black community’s lack of representation and voice at the table. On the other hand, Oscar Rodriguez’s striking illustration reveals a divisive country through the depiction of the standing president in the background, and the portraits of the civil rights leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King and Cesar Chavez, in the foreground.

 Beyond COVID

The events of the past FIVE months have underscored the severity of institutional racism. Beyond the immediate racial, health, and economic impacts of the virus, we have seen the ongoing push against human and civil rights, public safety, and well-being. 

Jenny Payan’s print Migration is… reminds US that while the immediate focus is on fighting the pandemic, families continue to be separated, and people are in detention centers with a high number of coronavirus VICTIMS. Cynthia Navarro’s digital painting of an inviting bright red cart with a large sign reads, Protect Food Vendors. Like garment district workers, farmers, and some essential workers, Food Vendors’ rights are limited But the need to place food on the table is what drives them to continue TO push FORTH. Peter Tovar’s painting, I’m Leaving Myself, and Diego Robles assemblage titled, Juegos mañosos/Tricky Games, provide windows to the artists’ struggles in coping with the pandemic, quarantine, and parallel events. A mental and emotional roller coaster that we have been riding for too long.

Nature as metaphor
for Resilience and Regrowth

“I try to reflect the difficult times we live in, and the hope that is growing and emerging from a dark past.” — Marianne Sadowski

Several artists in the exhibition look toward nature and ancestral stories about nature’s resilience as a symbol OF hope. Marianne Sadowski’s multi-panel monoprints show a dark and forceful fist rising from a field of leaves. The plants that rise up, empowering the figure, stand tall and strong giving strength to the people.

The artist, Rafael Haro depicts a tall and elegant corn stalk rising firmly in black and white print. The corn, a cultural emblem of the Indigenous people and of survival, is illustrated with words coming out of each stalk that reads, OTRO MUNDO ES POSIBLE (Another world is possible)– a mantra shared by the zapatistas; a world without capitalism, without police, without bad government. A hopeful look at a promising future.

 NAVIGATING a New Normal

Humor, friendships, and family fUEL our spirit, and are THE core to our survival during turbulent times. The monumental impact that the quarantine has had on society IS devastating. Nevertheless, humanity adjusts and perseveres. 

Through virtual happy hours and drive-by birthday parties, people have found ways to stay connected, celebrate special occasions, and create or adapt to a new normal. The artist, Ernesto Vasquez, shares an intimate drawing of his expecting wife, Claudia, as they await the birth of their first child.  An equally cherished event is captured by Victoria Delgadillo’s watercolor of a young woman celebrating her Quinceañera via Zoom. The grand occasion was complete with decorations, the iconic ball gown, blessings, dancing, gifts, cake, and toast to the young lady.

Dewey Tafoya is known for his witty slogans to address colonialism, immigration, the fractured judicial system, and more. For this exhibition, Dewey’s monoprint provides a commentary on the mass production of face masks and their evolution as a fashion statement. Through the iconic portrait of Frida Kahlo, who is sporting a mask with an image of a black handlebar mustache, the work emphasizes how society has transformed masks into an item of consumerism in today’s pandemic state. The exhibition is a demonstration that the arts, whether visual, music, or performance, nurtures our mental and emotional health and will be essential in our healing and grieving process. 

Catalog