The project features visiting artists in residency. These are artists whose papers are housed in CEMA. What distinguishes these artist residencies from most others is that the focus of these artists is not studio art work, but rather to engage the artist in producing new narratives, to add valuable documentation and context to historically important materials in their respective collections. The artists compose new texts, artist statements, and assist guest curators with planning exhibitions of their work.
The artists also give public lectures and classroom presentations, and/or write interpretive texts to be published through the project. Some of their interviews and lectures are recorded and are available as streaming video and audio on this site.
Esteban Villa, is a renowned artist, master muralist, and co-founder of the Sacramento-based artists collective known as the Royal Chicano Air Force. He was artist in residence for November 2009 and lectured on El Movimiento Chicano and the Royal Chicano Air Force. Martha Marin, UCSB student, commented that, "Esteban Villa did an amazing presentation and a wonderful job at taking us on a flight through the highlights of the RCAF history, filled with struggle but also laughter." While visiting Villa is contributed insightful narratives to many of the posters in the RCAF and Esteban Villa Collections that he had a hand in creating. Villa lectured at UCSB as well as at La Cuesta High School.
San Francisco based Yolanda Lopez who was in residence at UCSB in the spring of 2007. She provided much needed documentation and context to her donated collection, including identifying thousands of artists’ slides and documentary photographs of San Francisco’s Galeria de la Raza and of cultural events taking place in the Mission District.
East Los Angeles artist Leo Limon was artist in residence in spring 2008. He also documented his CEMA collection, lectured to classes, to visiting school groups, and made an outreach visit to a local high school attended by 700 students.
San Diego painter and muralist Salvador Torres is one of the earliest veterans of the Chicano art movement. His residency ran from April 13th to April 17th, 2009.
Some of the artists also engage faculty and graduate students in an evening tertulia, or, art salon. Lively conversations with the artists over examples of their artwork are very typical.
Project graduate students also participate. Cristina Serna, for example, conducted oral history interviews with Yolanda Lopez and is assisting with an oral history publication on artist Leo Limon. Franky Fuentes is helping to produce a documentary video on Limon.
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