Favianna.com

My Abortion Story

When I was 21, I had an abortion. I had started dating a graffiti writer who was eight years older than me. I had the opportunity to apply for this prestigious art fellowship in L.A., and I jumped at the chance. I ended up getting it and moving there. My lover came with me, and within a few weeks, I was pregnant. I made the decision to have unprotected sex with him because I felt connected to him; it was something I wanted to try out. I really believed I was in a strong, committed relationship. That wasn't the case, but, I didn't have the tools to realize that. I was very clear that I didn't want to continue the pregnancy.

This was the first time an artistic door was opening for me, and I knew having a child would impact my goals. It's been 15 years, I'm 36 now, and I encourage everyone to speak candidly about sex. A lot of our parents didn't have the tools or the time to talk about sex or relationships, but we can break that. Let's talk about sex in a positive way. Let's start with the fact that many of us use birth control precisely because we want to have sex in an enjoyable way without getting pregnant. For more info, check out the 1 in 3 campaign.  

Dan Siegel for Mayor of Oakland

Oakland‬ artists, organizers, cultural workers, and lovers of equity justice. I am hosting a party for Dan Siegel for Oakland, whose running for Mayor of Oakland. I support Dan because he promises to increase the minimum wage in Oakland to $15/hr. He has fought for police accountability in our communities, and because he is a strong supporter of arts and cultural equity. Dan believes that it's time to allow artists to play a significant role in city planning, and he will establish a more aggressive public arts program. He is also a fighter for food justice and led a task force that created a nationally acclaimed nutrition policy, which included education on healthy eating for children and parents, school gardens, and wholesome cafeteria food.

DAN IS THE BOMB! And we need a strong mayor who will stand up to big development, who will represent the working families of Oakland and who really gets it - from economic equity, to food justice, to the arts. Join me THIS FRIDAY for a meet and greet and come meet Dan. Please RSVP!!!

Burning Man 2014: Migration Is Beautiful/Que Viva

It's that time of year again, Burning Man !! I'm excited for the coming week of freedom and fun that is waiting for me. If you're going to be at Burning Man this year, come find me my camp!! You can find me at the Migration Is Beautiful/Que Viva! camp at 9:45 and Rod's Road. We are near Center Camp, please remember to use the clock for Center Camp clock to find us, not the bigger camp clock. 

Our camp will be hosting butterfly wing making activities, a migration story video booth, and a letter writing to refugee children activity. We want to bring social justice principles to Burning Man and expand on the Radical Inclusion principle. Join us!! 

If you are attending Burning Man, reach out to me and let me know where you will be camping so I can come visit.

Online Art Store Sale Through August 20th

 

20% OFF ART SALE on my online store! Thank you to everyone who voted me Best Artist in the East Bay Express. To show my gratitude and my love for all my art fans, everything in the store is 20% off. I have lots of NEW prints up. PLUS, lots of stuff that was previously sold out has been replenished, but check it out soon because prints are very limited. Visit my online gallery and use the code: 20SALE at the checkout. Sale ends August 20th, so don't miss out !!

 

After Thoughts on My Open Studio

It's been a few days and I've been recovering from a busy weekend. I wish to thank everyone who attended my Open Studio event this weekend. We had over 200 visitors and many works sold. I'm happy to report that my studio was among the most lively studios in the building, buzzing with Salsa and Cumbias, children running around painting butterflies, and folks engaging in dynamic conversations about art and politics. The vibe that everyone helped create was one of community, culture, positivity and love.

For a moment during the event, as I sat down to watch folks around me, I realized that I was co-creating a multi-racial space where our communities could connect and relate to the powerful role of art in our life. Perhaps some take for granted that many formal art spaces have traditionally excluded people of color. Therefore, I intentionally work against in my work and create spaces where our communities feel welcome, as I believe that art is a right for all.

I especially believe that art is not just an end product, but a process that includes many voices, not just the artist's voice. In my work, I create spaces of healing and creativity, and this weekend was a big testament that. The highlight of the weekend was an 86 year old woman approached me to say that she had heard my Creative Mornings talk on the internet, and she came a long distance just to give me a hug. When she hugged me she asked me to breathe in and out. It was wonderful! Thank you all for attending and supporting my work!

Recap of my talk with Creative Mornings Oakland

I had a great time seeing new and old faces at my talk with Creative Mornings Oakland at Impact Hub Oakland. Hella Oakland !! Rather than tell you how it went down, you can see the entire event on video and through pictures. Thank you again to everyone at Creative Mornings Okland and IMpact Hub for such an awesome event. People are still talking about it, so be sure to watch the video and in case you weren't able to make it to the event. And as always, keep up with my latest events and talks through my twitter and Facebook fan page!!

Creative Mornings Oakland: Favianna Rodriguez

This Thursday (5/22/14) at Impact Hub Oakland, I'm doing at talk with Creative Mornings Oakland about my work and practices. I'm really excited about this event, but there's a limited number of seats available, so if you wanna attended, please register as soon as possible. You can also check out this short video on what I'll be talking about at this event.   

Undocunation Atlanta May 30th & 31st

Atlanta, get ready because Undocunation is coming to you on May 30th and 31st. Grammy winning & nominated musicians, visual artists, performers, and local community members will host the 5th Undocunation, a traveling arts and music festival that both uplifts migrant stories and speaks out against unjust immigration laws that separate families and discriminate against LGBTQ communities and people of color. The multidisciplinary, free event is open to all community members and will feature performances, art installations, and workshops featuring leaders and artists engaged in civil, immigrant and LGBTQ rights.

Featured in Undocunation Atlanta are Ceci Bastida of Tijuana No!, Shawn King of DeVotchKa, Raul Pacheco of Ozomatli, Sonia Guinansaca and Soultree. Visual art from Yehimi Adriana Cambron, Carol Belisa, Rommy Torrico, Felipe Baeza, Julio Salgado and more! Please join us for this two days of migrant and social justice celebration through music, art and workshops.

Art show and performances: Friday, May 30th 7pm-10pm Gallery L1 828 Ralph McGill Blvd. Ste. L1 Atlanta, GA

Free workshops: Saturday, May 31st 10am-4:30pm 60 Walton St. NW Atlanta, GA

Also, to better serve the needs of our community, we're asking folks to fill this RSVP form with some extra questions. Para servir mejor a nuestra comunidad, le pedimos que por favor llene este forma con unas cuantas preguntas mas. This is event is made possible by Culture Strike. 

Workshop & Lecture at Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer

This Saturday, Julio Salgado and I are gong to be hosting a workshop and lecture at the beautiful Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer (TANA) out in Woodland California. Last time we were there, both Julio and I developed a professional screen print at the studio, so we're excited to see what we create this time around. The workshop & lecture will be from ! to 2:20pm and it is FREE FOR ANYONE TO ATTEND. 

There is a Facebook event page for this event as well. 

My Interview on Up Rising Radio With Sonali Kolhatkar

I had the awesome pleasure to sit down and talk with my friend Sonali Kolhatkar. Check it out

Talking about Cultural Strategies in Organizing

Had the opportunity to be on a discussion with Tracy Van Slyke as part of the Stop the Presses!, a semi-monthly live webcast, which is part of the Center for Story-Based Strategy. Check out the archived video of our discussion.   

Carving Through Borders

Two printmaking professors from the College of Visual and Performing Arts' Department of Art—in collaboration with Bay Area artists and youth groups—will be using a two-ton steamroller to press seven-foot-long woodcarvings covered with cloth for “Carving Through Borders,” a printmaking event to be held this Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in San Franciscos Mission District outside Paul Mullowney Studio, 931 Treat Avenue.

The art is focused on the theme of migration, and will be part of the 42nd annual Southern Graphics Council International Conference, and open to the public. The faculty members, Holly Greenberg and Dusty Herbig—along with six graduate and three undergraduate students—are collaborating with me and Culturestrike to coordinate this event.

Migration is Beautiful Presentation at Brown University

 

This coming Tuesday, February 25, I'll be giving a presentation about my art practice in creating powerful and unapologetic art pieces. I''ll be sharing snippets of Migration is Beautiful, the recent documentary highlighting some of my creative projects.Following this presentation, CSREA will host a closing reception for the art exhibition CultureStr/ke. This collection of posters by various artists explores different aspects of the immigrant experience, from the criminalization of migrants through deportation to the undocumented and queer intersectionality.

The presentation is taking place in the meeting Room (2nd Floor), Brown RISD Hillel, 80 Brown Street. I'm excited to hang out with fans/friends old and new.

Key Note Presentation at the Leeway Revolve: An Art for Social Change Symposium

Keynote Presentation: Favianna Rodriguez from PhillyCAM on Vimeo.

In octboer of this year, I had the privilege and honor of giving the key note speech at the Art for Social Change Symposium. You can see my full presentation here if you weren't able to see it in Philadelphia.

End of the Year Sale at My Online Store

I want to thank all of you who have supported me this year from the bottom of my heart. I get messages on  FB, twitter and Tumblr from folks who have been inspired by my art and presentations and I'm constantyly left speechless from messages like that. When folks share that kind of positive energy with me, it's what keeps me going throughout the year. I can't thank you, my fans and supporters enough for inspiring me to keep doing the work that I'm doing. 

With that being said, I'm happy to announce that I'm having an end of the year sale on everything in my online art store. You can get %15 off your entire purchase by using the code: ENDOFYEAR15

If you've been thinking of picking up a print, poster or migration is beautiful shirt for yourself or for someone else, now is the time to take advantage of the discount and treat yo self!! In addition, I'm taking international orders as well !!

 

 

Favianna's Art Salon - Experiments in the Human Condition

 Once a year, I open up my studio and show off a raw and unedited collection of my recent works. This year, I am trying something new. I will create an interactive and multidisciplinary experience, facilitated by members of my family, my close friends, and myself.

You can expect to find:

• limited edition prints & posters

• calendars, note cards, & books

• limited edition shirts & dresses

• nourishing & invigorating soup

• a peak at Favianna’s new print studio

• 80’s retro beats + Salsa

• my amazing mom hosting the gathering

DJs: Torrance Rogers and Dave 'Davey D' Cook. Also, this year, 25% of proceeds from all art sales will benefit CultureStrike, an arts organization that I co-founded 3 years ago. Leveraging the power of arts and culture, CultureStrike works toward a society that recognizes and embraces migration and the migrant experience.

For info, send an email to [email protected]

Presentations and Workshops in Chicago 11/11 - 11/15

Making my way to Chicago next week to do some presentations and workshops. I'm doing a week long series of events and workshops presented by the Chicago Public Library in partnership with the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum. The workshops and presentations are all free and open to the public. You can see the full list of events below.

MONDAY 11/11 6:00pm - 8:00pm Community potluck and art swap at Hyde Park Dacha 1213 East 53rd Street #3W Chicago, IL 60615 Join local artists, activists, and friends as we welcome Favianna to Chicago. Bring a dish and some artwork to share as we reimagine the domestic sphere as a space for creative exchange. FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - RSVP REQUIRED email [email protected] ________________________________________________________________________________

TUESDAY 11/12 12:00pm - 1:30pm "Art is a Hammer: Making Your Own Food Justice Poster" at Jane Addams Hull-House Museum 800 South Halsted Street Chicago, IL 60607

Favinanna will present her graphic work that engages issues of land use, sustainability, and food justice. Participants will be led in an activity to create their own posters related to local or national campaigns and demands for responsible, equitable and ethical practices within the food movement. This workshop is open to the public and limited to the first 35 participants who enroll. Please visit: http://artisahammer.eventbrite.com to register for meal and workshop.

4:00pm - 5:30pm YOUmedia Art and Justice Presents: A Teen Workshop Harold Washington Library Center YOUmedia 400 South State Street Chicago, IL 60605 Learn from interdisciplinary artist Favianna Rodriguez how to develop visually engaging media for social justice campaigns with tools and resources at YOUmedia @CPL.

Harold Washington Library Center YOUmedia FREE AND OPEN TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS - NO RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

6:30pm Albany Park Theatre Project: Art, Activism and Migration Join interdisciplinary artist and cultural organizer Favianna Rodriguez, Albany Park Theatre Project ensemble members and Artistic Director David Feiner for a look at where immigrant rights intersect with art. Harold Washington Library Center 400 S. State Street Chicago, IL 60605 FREE AND OPEN THE PUBLIC - NO RESERVATIONS REQUIRED ________________________________________________________________________________

WEDNESDAY 11/13 3:00 - 4:30pm UIC Rafael Cintron Ortiz Latino Cultural Center Join the Latino Cultural Center and the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum for an interactive presentation by artist and activist Favianna Rodriguez who will be presenting as part of the Zona Abierta visiting artist series 803 S. Morgan St., Lecture Center B2 Chicago, IL 60607-7028 6:00-7:00pm National Museum of Mexican Art Yollocalli Arts Reach Youth Program studio visit, artist talk and critique 2022 W Cermak Road Chicago, IL 60608 CLOSED SESSION FOR Yollocalli Students Only ________________________________________________________________________________

THURSDAY 11/14 2:00-4:00pm School of the Art Institute of Chicago During this workshop, we will be learning art's functionality as a tool to discuss critical issues that in turn empower people as they learn and apply knowledge as cultural producers. Through our own art-making and dialogue during this workshop, we hope to reach a better understanding of that process. Open to Art Education at SAIC 7:00-9:00pm SAIC Art Education Department at Hull-House FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ________________________________________________________________________________

FRIDAY 11/15 10:30-12:00pm Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School Artist talk and studio critique on art as a form of civic engagement CLOSED SESSION FOR PACPRHS Students Only 1:00-3:00pm School of the Art Institute of Chicago For this particular session, we will be investigating the role of the artist in mobilizing community action through arts engagement. Points of investigation include meaningful collaborative work that develops over time and within different communities. How does social practice utilize social spaces as an opportunity for dialogue social media platforms to further the conversation? CLOSED SESSION for SAIC GFRY PubliCity Studio at SAIC 5:00-8:00pm Marwen Studio visits with students + public artist talk Verve: Guest Artist Series is a free public presentation series that extends Marwen’s commitment to educate and inspire through the visual arts into the larger community. 5:00-7:00pm - CLOSED for Marwen Students 7:00-8:ppm - FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Art & Protest Workshop in London

I've been in London the last few days and have been having a blast exploring and connecting with artist here, but I'm also doing a workshop with youth this Saturday !! It's being hosted by Refugee Youth, which is an org dedicated to breaking down isolation and combating alienation and despair amongst young refugees by supporting opportunities for development. The workshop is going to be during their fim festival, so if you're in London, come through !!  

Our Mission: No Eviction! A Community Action to Benefit Mission artists Rene Yañez and Yolanda Lopez

Please join us for an evening of performance, art and tributes to long time San Francisco Mission artists and residents Yolanda Lopez and Rene Yanez. both have both been issued Ellis Act Evictions and are facing serious health issues. This fundraiser will help raise funds to help cover some of the lawyer, medical and moving expenses to help them get through this and resettle themselves. 

Yolanda and Rene have made huge contributions to the Chicano art world and the uniqueness and beauty that so many of us love about the Mission and San Francisco. Please come out to celebrate these two amazing humans and help them fight this eviction and raise some funds to help them.

If you would like to make an online donation, please make sure to make the designation "Yanez/Lopez Benefit." For more information on the event, please check the Brava Theater Center website. 

Turning Art into Activism ~ Latino USA Interview

I had the pleasure of being on the first LIVE broadcast of NPR's Latino USA this past weekend. I had a great time sharing with everyone what drives me to do art, my passion for the fight for immigrants rights and what has inspired me to do the work that I do with Culturestrike. You can listen to the full interview below.