#Latina at MASS MoCA

Being invited to the Artist in Residency at Studios MASS MoCA/Assets for Artists (a mayor contemporary art museum in this country) Validates my artistic skill and my artistic voice.

Thank you to my 14 Backers and supporters. I will be Attending the Residency at the end of October 2015.

Invited to attend Studios MASS MoCA/Assets for Artist in Residence

A new initiative from MASS MoCA’s Assets for Artists Program offers artists and writers opportunities to...

Get inspired. Be productive. Focus on the future.

Hai, I’m Alysia from Sunny So Cal! 21 years & I’m Mexican, French & Spanish

Exploring the selfie, and its increasing prevalence in our culture, led me to realize that there are subthemes within how people examine or present identity such as ethnic, gender, or religious identity. Selfies are an expression of one’s identity, however contrived or imagined it may be. For this reason my artwork calls attention to the ways in which new technologies allow individuals to actively voice their opinions through self-portraiture.

Coming across the campaign entitled "Reclaiming the Latina Tag", in which the founders goal is a dedicated blog to reclaim the said Tag. "Because we do not belong to your hypersexualization and fetishization" said Founder Xochitl.
My portrait paintings represent a journey in my continuous search to make connections with the people around me and in the place I live. Exploring my identity produces a visceral exchange of personal and political identity while cultivating an awareness of “otherness.”

In this residency not only will I have the time to Paint more Amazing #Latina Portraits I will be in an environment of support in which i will pick the brains of Professionals in the Art world to help me realize and Present #Latina: Reclaiming the Latina Tag. One of my hurtle is how i will incorporate, in the art or art display, the text written by every participant who posts a selfie on the Tumblr Blog.

I’m a first gen chicana who just finished her first year of uni. I’ve never been so proud of myself and I owe all of my success to my parents

AAAaaa... i have been invited to attend the Artist in Residency at Studios MASS MoCa/Assets for Artists!!!!!!!!

I am beyond excited to have received invitation to a two week Artist in Residency at MASS MoCa/Assets for Artists. 

But i need your help to fund it! 

I need help  funding it, Cost/Expenses $1500, $1000 residency housing fee and $500 airplane ticket for my Mom to come take care for my 3 yr old, Lucas.

With your support I can add further dialogue to my new series entitled Reclaiming the Latina tag, which will be the series I will be working on while in residence.

$20support      Postcard of me at work at the residency

$50support      Postcard and 5x7 print of the series to be dispersed within 6 months of Nov. 2015

$100                Postacrad and original sketch made of my process during the residency. Dispersed within 6 months of Nov 2015

Money can be sent by check or via paypal to missartzy@yahoo.com

This is what I submitted:
Exploring the selfie, and its increasing prevalence in our culture, led me to realize that there are subthemes within how people examine or present identity such as ethnic, gender, or religious identity. Selfies are an expression of one’s identity, however contrived or imagined it may be. For this reason my artwork calls attention to the ways in which new technologies allow individuals to actively voice their opinions through self-portraiture. During my MFA program I explored three different hashtag/ series. The first is #WhatLatinosLookLike, a group of painted self-portraits on those selfies posted on Twitter by individuals who demonstrate diversity within Latinos. The second series, #MurrietaProtest, addresses a shameful display of anti-immigrant sentiment in this country- specifically an event that took place in California in July of 2014.  The third series, entitled #Inbetween2worlds will be composed of a collection of my own selfies taken of me in Arlington, Massachusetts, and in Puerto Rico.
I have recently come across the campaign entitled "Reclaiming the Latina Tag", in which the founders goal is a dedicated blog to reclaim the said Tag. "Because we do not belong to your hypersexualization and fetishization" said Founder Xochitl.
My portrait paintings represent a journey in my continuous search to make connections with the people around me and in the place I live. Exploring my identity produces a visceral exchange of personal and political identity while cultivating an awareness of “otherness.”
My intention is to take images from this Tumblr Blog "Reclaiming the Latina Tag" and paint 15-20 paintings. I have begun four thus far. An opportunity, such as this residency, to set aside time and be in a supportive environment will be a change from the balancing act as a stay at home mother, wife, and artist. I look forward in the opportunity to allow myself time in continuing building this dialogue and potentially make work for a solo exhibition. I would highly benefit from Financial assistance and business coaching as this is an aspect of the industry in which MFA programs do not really provide adequate guidance.

Reclaiming Latina tag

Im following and joining the Campaign to reclaim the Latina Tag

We all have a cultural identity that is formed by family, community, country, and the world in which we live. Today, selfies aid in constructing identity by providing a new mode and venue for negotiating values, perceptions, and assertions. I present myself and my Latino identity via my selfies. By re-presenting the quickly created, ever changing, and widely circulated selfie with a more traditional, time sensitive painting approach and hanging it on an art gallery wall, I want viewers to also slow down and more deeply engage the politics of identity negotiated in a portrait, from ethnic identity to social activism.

Here is a link of the founder- 

 http://reclaimingthelatinatag.tumblr.com/

another great link http://www.buzzfeed.com/yezminvillarreal/these-women-are-using-selfies-to-reclaim-latina-identity-on#.xdapb7kMAx

It’s Liquid Group, International ArtExpo, Venice Art House and Ca’ Zanardi, are proud to announce the opening of:

FRACTAL IDENTITIES – Entropy . Disorders . Obsessions, international art exhibition of photography, video art, installation, painting and performance art, that will be hosted in Venice, at Palazzo Ca’ Zanardi and Venice Art House, from the 15th to the 25th of July 2015.

The opening of the event was on July 15, 2015 at VENICE ART HOUSE Gallery.

above artist Nayda A. Cuevas and sculpture by  Iveta Tomanová

ARTISTS
Eva Chelmecka . Poland | Nayda A. Cuevas . US | Alexandra Foffano & Nicolò Rossi . Italy | Antonia Pia Gordon . UAE | Clare Haxby . Singapore | Ashish Kushwaha . India | Judith Levi 16 . Canada – Israel | Aleksander Michelotti . Italy | Thompson Pereira da Costa . Italy | Mika Qatsi . Italy | Kathy Rose . USA | Iztok Smajs . Slovenia | Gregory Steel . US |Anneke von der Fehr & Tona Gulpinar . Norway | Ann-Hege L. Waterhouse . Norway

link to event: http://www.lucacurci.com/artexpo/opening-fractal-identities-venice-2015.htm

#immigration #Dreamers #Obamarespnde #iaSummit

Young Activist

On November 20, 2014, the President announced a series of executive actions to crack down on illegal immigration at the border, prioritize deporting felons not families, and require certain undocumented immigrants to pass a criminal background check and pay taxes in order to temporarily stay in the U.S. without fear of deportation.  

I only wish to continue conversation on an issue that affects many families wishing for a better life. Finding my images on Twitter I observe from a far distance how young adults or young people and their voice circulates within the internet. I have pulled them out from the many images lost on cyberspace and painted them as a dialogue to my series entitled ‪#‎MurrietaProtest‬, from an event that took place on July 2014. By November 2014 Obama made an official step forward...

January 25, 2015

Immigration Protestors interrupt Rick Perry at Iowa Freedom Summit.

http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2015/01/immigration-protesters-interrupt-rick-perry-at-iowa-summit.html/ 

 

While his immigration plans are on hold because of legal challenges, President Obama hosted an immigration town hall February 25th, 2015 in Miami.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2015/02/22/obama-immigration-msnbc-telemundo-town-hall/23838871/

 

Pedro Albizu Campos

In remembrance Of Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos. First Puerto Rican to graduate from Harvard Law, returned to PR to represent the poor and stand up to injustice.

Portrait above created by Nayda A. Cuevas. This is a portrait out of sugar paper (paper made of sugar). After graduating from Harvard he returned to PR to practice poverty law, where he represented sugar cane workers (Denis, p.116). Albizu and the sugar cae workers formed the Association de Trabajadores de PR (Workers Association of PR) and negotiated on their behalf to increase their wages. " the workers would received $1.50 for a twelve hour day, more than double the amount they'd gotten before." (Denis, p120) 
Please visit http://waragainstallpuertoricans.com/

Taking a little inspirations from Artists: Vic Muniz “The Sugar Children, 1996” and Kara Walkers 2014 installation in Brooklyn at the abandoned Domino Sugar factory.

Kara Walker Sugar Sphinx

As I entered the building to look at this exhibition the wall had text that read; "An homage to the unpaid and overworked artisans who have refined our sweet tastes from the cane fields to the kitchens of the new world on the occasion of the demolition of the Domino Sugar Refining Plant." The same company that Puerto Rican cane workers also refined.

 The Sugar children: Valentina, the fastest; Jacynthe, loves orange juice; Lil Calist can't swim; Valicia bathes in sunday clothes; Big James sweats buckets; Ten-ten's weed necklace (in 6 parts) ,by: Vik Muniz

On April 2015 I obtained my copy of the book entitled War Against all Puerto Ricans by Nelson A. Denis. A few essays published on Latino Rebels, found through Twitter, sparked interest on the unknown history of the Island I was born in. To be honest, my least favorite subject in school was history and therefore I had no knowledge of Puerto Rico’s history and relationship with the United States.

I had herd the name Pedro Albizu Campos, as this Nationalist no one in my family or Puerto Ricans friends talked about. I also knew that Dr. Campos was compadre with my great grandfather Angel Ramos Torres (godfather to one of my gran aunts). And I now know that my great grandmother had a “carpeta” and would often visit Laura, Pedro’s wife.

My interest grew stronger and I was unable to put down the book. Chapters 13 and 14 were the hardest to read. I am still digesting all the information I just learned and as an artist I will regurgitate this information through Visual form. Words cannot express the sadness in my heart for the history of my people and Puerto Rico’s current economic crisis. Leaving the island is what many Puerto Ricans result to.