Art of Protest / Art of Dreams: Contemporary Printmaking in Oaxaca and Chicago
October 29-December 10, Walford Galleries, Adams Hall
Sponsored by the Art Department, with support from the Office of Global and Experiential Learning .
Mexico has a long-standing tradition of using printmaking as a force for social and political engagement. This exhibition explores the impact of this tradition on Latino artists today, bringing together over 30 printmakers from Oaxaca, Mexico to Chicago, USA. These artists share a common commitment to using art to draw people together and imagine a better future. Although they come from geographically and culturally diverse places, they are united in a belief in collaboration as a foundation for community, activism, and outreach. The work in the exhibition ranges from political protest to thought-provoking and poetic explorations of gender, domesticity, tradition, and contemporary life. Among the artists and presses featured are Edith Chávez and Ivan Bautista of Burro Press, Oaxaca, and the members of Instituto Gráfico de Chicago.
Iván Bautista from Burro Press, Oaxaca
In conjunction with the exhibition, there will be several free hands-on printmaking workshops hosted by Instituto Gráfico de Chicago, as well as a panel discussion exploring the social, political, and artistic contexts of Oaxaca’s vibrant print scene.
CONTRA / Against Print Portfolio published by Instituto Gráfico de Chicago
Drop-in Printmaking Workshop with Instituto Gráfico de Chicago (IGC)
Friday, November 2, 12:30-2:30pm, Lower Beamer
Art of Protest / Art of Dreams: Contemporary Printmaking in Oaxaca and Chicago
Opening Reception and Artist Talk with IGC
Friday, November 2, 4:30pm, Walford Galleries, Adams Hall
Instituto Gráfico de Chicago (IGC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining the critical activist tradition of Latino printmaking that unites communities of struggle around the world. IGC offers arts education programs for new generations to engage in printmaking as a social force. This network of printers comes together to advance the legacy and vitality of printmaking by hosting community events and creating opportunities for artists to participate in print exchange projects and promote their work in group exhibitions.
Artwork by the Infamous IGC member Carlos Barberena and Ricardo Serment at the Walford Galleries, Wheaton College.
Música y Grabados: Mariachi Concert and Printmaking Workshop
Saturday, November 3, 10:00-2:30pm, Wheaton Public Library
Join us for a musical performance by Mariachi Los Rayos de Leman Middle School followed by a free drop-in printmaking workshop with the collective Instituto Gráfico de Chicago. This event is free and open to all ages.
PANEL DISCUSSION:
Oaxaca’s Social, Political, and Artistic Contexts
Wednesday, November 7, 7pm, Adams 301
Join us for a presentation and panel discussion with Iván Arenas, Associate Director for Community Partnerships at the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy, UIC and Oaxacaño artists Edith Chávez and Ivan Bautista as we discuss the intersections of the personal and the public in the art of social justice.
In 2006, the repression of a teacher’s strike in Oaxaca, Mexico resulted in a grassroots social movement that held the city for six months. While ultimately repressed by federal police forces, the social movement generated an intense dialogue about the problems plaguing people and gave rise to a series of concerted and creative responses. The Assembly of Revolutionary Artists of Oaxaca (ASARO), a political street art group, was born during this social movement. ASARO used their art to both reflect on and incite dialogue and action about social problems and social justice. Placed on street walls throughout the city, their striking stencils, silk-screens, paintings, and woodblock prints were at the center of political protests, touching on issues such as the militarization of the community, the privatization of public goods, gender equality, transgenic corn imports, democratic participation, and Indigenous rights, among others. Their art of protest recalls the unrealized promises of the Mexican revolution and critiques the present as it pushes for alternative futures. ASARO’s collective and prolific artistic output and commitment to change continue to inspire artists, activists, and the general public, and has shaped Oaxaca’s thriving printmaking scene today.
PRINTMAKING FESTIVAL:
Grabadolandia
November 16-19, National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th Street, Chicago
Hosted by Instituto Gráfico de Chicago
A free family-friendly weekend event for all ages. Come learn what printmaking is all about from some of the best printmakers in Chicago and beyond. Artists and printing presses will be demonstrating, displaying, and selling handcrafted prints.
for more information and a full schedule of events visit their website
https://www.institutograficodechicago.org/about-grabadolandia/