#yollocalli arts reach

[yollocalli]

Yollocalli Arts Reach on the Road!

By: Adilene Salgado   Allied Media Conference in Detroit was Yollocalli’s first summer adventure. We took a road trip on June 15-18 to be participant on this extraordinary conference that contains more than 2,500 people and  brings energetic and multiple communities together. A world of nerds where people use media to encourage change: Filmmakers, Radio Producers, Technologists, Youth Organizers, Writers, Musicians and many more! In other words, Allied Media Conference is a space that redefines“media”, a space to innovate and explore digital alternatives.

Our youth, instructors and Director took the opportunity to represent Chicago and Yollocalli Arts Reach; sharing their work and experience in 3 different panels, from DIY internet Radio Exploration (Pop Up Youth Radio), Remixing Archival Videos (Camera Flux) and Teen Presence in the National Museum of Mexican Art (Youth Council). Each team had to give a presentation to an audience, breaking down how we  produce our contents and inviting the audience to the magnificent  world of Yollocalli.

Jennifer Aguilar has been part of the youth council over 3 years! She developed her skills for being around in Yollocalli, from creating events, exhibitions and special projects. The fun organizing  and making sure teen ideas are heard within each youth council meetings. In this presentation, Teen Presence at the National Museum of Mexican Art, she walked with Whitney Ross, Youth Development Advisor at Yollocalli Arts Reach, and Gilberto Sandoval, former founder of the Youth Council back in 2012 and now organizer at the National Museum of Mexican Art.  They shared stories and experience on how the youth council helps the NMMA to get more visitors especially from youth and to explore museums. Also they broke down the ideas and the roles they take such as creating events for youth, fundraisers or even something that will give a positive environment for youth to hang out and experience good vibes with educational resources.

Gianna Lightfoot and Jaime Lopez, both students of Camera Flux class, along with their instructor Todd Diederich and our Director Vanessa Sanchez presented Remixing Archival Videos. They explained how youth learn the power of media to challenge conventional narratives about history, communities, & public policy using Chicago Slices. This is a project trained youth in using freely accessible tools to produce & introduced media literacy concepts through the use of archival footage. These two students have been part of big projects while participating in Yollocalli classes or even collaborations with local community artists. They’ve challenged themselves and even their own class to produce high quality content with only using the tools they are available to use at Yollocalli Arts Reach. They also are both individuals that have different unique style on how they produce archival footage. Gianna enjoys to be weird, creative and unique. Jaime enjoys to have his professionalism on point making the most high quality content from photography to recording videos, he also enjoys to challenge himself by keeping it weird and mysterious!

And finally, DIY Internet Radio Exploration Panel and hands-on workshop of Pop Up Youth Radio where I, Adilene Salgado and Brian Cuz, both students of the Radio Production class took the control of the internet waves and transmitted live through our channel on mixlr and on Live on Lumpen Radio.  We broadcasted the panel composed by Vanessa Sanchez and Stephanie Manriquez from Yollocalli, explaining their work on their Difusion Media teen program; via telephone we chatted with Logan Bay, station director at Lumpen Radio about the importance of community radio; also, Diego Aguirre, graphic designer and a radio experimental artist based in Mexico City, explored different alternatives on how to bring radio access into small low-income communities and groups.  

After our one-hour show, Brian and I taught the audience how to do Pop Up Radio, from what equipment to use, set up, applications to broadcast, structuring a show to interaction with your environment and audience. The final message was to show that everyone can do DIY Radio!  

Check out and listen to this awesome conversation here:

 In the long run, experiencing and being part of the Allied Media Conference was an amazing adventure. A long drive from Chicago to Detroit was a thriller! We enjoyed every minute in our stay from improvising as a radio station to visiting Detroit Institute of Arts, witnessing the Diego Rivera mural and of course discovering new foods! We kept it weird and brought all of our Yollocalli love to Detroit; hoping people were influenced or inspired by our ideas, plans and of course the team that represented Yollocalli Arts Reach!!!

[lakeviewchamber]

Talking Art: Murals of the Lakeview Low-Line

Thursday, September 10, 2020 from 1 - 2 PM Talking Art: Murals of the Lakeview Low-Line is a three-part virtual event series hosted by Friends of Lakeview and sponsored by AARP Chicago exploring public art in Lakeview. Held in August, September and October of 2020, each event in this series will touch on a different plaza of the Lakeview Low-Line and include focused conversations on how public art has transformed Lakeview.  

The second event in the series will focus on the transformation of Paulina Plaza, where two murals, five creative seating elements, and countless programs all funded by SSA 27 have contributed to the creation of a new community hub. Artist Lauren Asta will speak on her work This is Lakeview, and answer questions about her experience contributing to this unique project, while Vanessa Sanchez, Yollocalli Arts Reach Director will speak on the community involvement behind Flight Patterns. Join us on September 10 at 1 PM via Zoom for this virtual event to learn more about the creativity of Paulina Station.

REGISTER HERE.

[solidgoldsilva]

A huge dose of medicinal color made with my @Yollocalli posse during the summer of 2013. (at Yollocalli Arts Reach) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtlQmZmnKXv/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=s01ubmsm61nu

[gilsandoval]

Ofrenda for Gabriel Cisneros (2016) Collaborative project through Yollocalli Arts Reach Displayed at the National Museum of Mexican Art

[enchufatechicago]

City of Chicago Latino Summer Programming

Press Release

Series of free movies, music, markets, dance, and theatre events kick off June 11 to celebrate Chicago’s Latino communities

Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) today announced dozens of free cultural events this summer celebrating Chicago’s Latino communities, presented by the City of Chicago and its collaborators. Highlights include movies, music, markets, dance, and theatre in the heart of the city and in neighborhoods across Chicago – including, for the first time, ¡Súbelo! (turn it up), a Latino music celebration as part of World Music Festival Chicago.

“The City of Chicago is committed to presenting cultural programs that reflect the vibrant diversity of Chicago, including Chicago’s Latinx communities,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “This series of free events represents a new, critically important effort to showcase Latinx artists on our stages, in our galleries, and around the city.”

“Our renewed focus on Latino programming is re-energizing Maxwell Street Market, strengthening our Chicago SummerDance series and bringing new audiences to Taste of Chicago and Millennium Park – Chicago’s town square,” said DCASE Commissioner Mark Kelly. “Our Latino audiences are growing, thanks to world-class programming and collaborations with the Chicago Park District and our cultural partners.”

The following event highlights are free and open to the public:

Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Pan’s Labyrinth (in Spanish, with Aguijón Theater) on July 16 as part of the 2019 Year of Chicago Theatre. MillenniumPark.org

Millennium Park Summer Music Series – presenting Chucho Valdés–Jazz Batá (Cuba) on June 24, the 5th Annual Chicago Mariachi Festival (Mexico) in collaboration with the Mariachi Heritage Foundation on June 30, the 2nd Annual Mexican Indigenous Music Festival in collaboration with the Old Town School of Folk Music on July 21, Los Amigos Invisibles (Venezuela) on July 25, and México en el Corazón in collaboration with the North American Institute for Mexican Advancement on August 27. MillenniumPark.org

Millennium Park Theatre Series – featuring Aguijón Theater and eight other local companies, performing July through October as part of the 2019 Year of Chicago Theatre. Details to come. Presented with support from Rick Bayless through Frontera Grill and the Bayless Family Foundation. MillenniumPark.org

Grant Park Music Festival – presenting Mambo Kings and the Grant Park Orchestra on August 7 at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park as part of its 85th season. Grant Park Music Festival is presented with support from DCASE and the Chicago Park District. GPMF.org

Taste of Chicago – presenting a double bill of Bomba Estéreo (Colombia) and Cultura Profética (Puerto Rico) on July 11 in Grant Park. TasteofChicago.us

Chicago SummerDance – showcasing dozens of Latino artists and dance styles including Salsa, Samba, Cha-cha, Cumbia, Tango, Mambo, Bomba, Bachata and more – in Grant Park, Millennium Park and neighborhood parks throughout the city, June 26 through August 24. ChicagoSummerDance.org

World Music Festival Chicago – presenting, for the first time, ¡Súbelo! (turn it up) – a Latino music celebration on September 14 at Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park with Centavrvs (Mexico), Los Wemblers (Peru) and Pirulo y su Tribu (Puerto Rico). The citywide, multi-venue festival (September 13–29) will additionally include dozens of Latino artists from across the globe. WorldMusicFestivalChicago.org

Maxwell Street Market – offering an eclectic mix of merchandise and some of the best Mexican and Latino street food in Chicago on Sundays, 9am–3pm. Don’t miss artmaking with the National Museum of Mexican Art and Yollocalli Arts Reach on June 23 and other select dates through November 3 – and The Big Deal celebration on August 4. MaxwellStreetMarket.us

“We’re proud to be partnering with Mayor Lightfoot and DCASE to showcase the beauty and richness of Latino art and culture right here in Chicago,” said Carlos Tortolero, President of the National Museum of Mexican Art. “We invite the community to bring the family to enjoy these free summer and fall events.”

For event details, visit chicago.gov/dcase and join the conversation on Facebook at ‘Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events’ and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ChicagoDCASE.

Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to enriching Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. This includes fostering the development of Chicago’s non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City’s future cultural and economic growth, via the 2012 Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City’s cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors.

LINK

[instapicsil3]

Lots of murals throughout the Chicago area are in plain sight on commercial and residential buildings. But some are off the beaten path. The mural titled “Reach For Peace” happens to be in an alleyway on 18th Street next to the Los Comales restaurant. It was created in 2011 as a collaborative effort with lead artist Jesus Rodriguez and the youth with the Yollocalli Arts Reach program, part of the National Museum of Mexican Art. According to @Yollocalli the mural was created “as a way to promote peace and solidarity in Pilsen and surrounding communities.” Yollocalli has around 50 murals in Chicago. Visit yollocalli.org for a map of the murals and information on programs. @yolandanews #MuralMonday #Pilsen #18thStreet #LosComales #Mexico #MexicanFood #Yollocalli #PilsenMurals #Chicago #ChicagoMurals #PublicArt #ChicagoPublicArt #YouthArt #YollocalliArtsReach #ChicagoYouth #NationalMuseumOfMexicanArt https://ift.tt/2PhL4uC

[hotelversey]

Art is Transforming Lakeview - One Mural at a Time

Art is much more than just a form of general expression - it is an abstract that unifies people and urges new modes of thinking. We're pleased to say that in Curbed Chicago's article there is a dive into the local artist scene. For years, Lakeview has been part of an initiative to light up the city with various public art pieces - now there are seven projects in commission for 2018!  

Beginning on Tuesday, July 17, there will be artists painting murals throughout the neighborhood. The murals will be located largely throughout the Low Line  - artists such as Lauren Asta, JC Rivera, and Don't Fret will be taking the stage with confirmed painting murals in Lakeview. The third mural will be located at Paulina Plaza and painted by Yollocalli Arts Reach, an initiative group that integrates youth into the arts. 

We think what's most special about these murals that are in the works is being able to see a whole atmosphere transform - and a place once empty is now filled with color, story and depth. Come get your own taste of the arts by taking photos, asking the artists questions, and learning of the process of building a mural that's sure to spark everyones attention by visiting the mural sights.

Enjoy!

[bienvenidosapilsen]

This is an artpiece right along 18th street and Blue Island made by Yollocalli Arts Reach. They’re located Little Village neighborhood as an open community center with studio spaces, computer labs, radio production studios, a large art library, and staff who are always around to help those who want to be inspired. The mural is in respect and solidarity to all immigrants and allies who have marched to advocate for fair regulations of immigrants and those that stood strong and proud in front of those who are against it.

[artcultureequity]

Yollocalli Arts Reach is the award-winning youth initiative of the National Museum of Mexican Art, we offer FREE arts and culture programming to teens and young adults.

Located in the heart of Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, we serve as an open community center with studio spaces, computer lab, radio production studio, a large art library, and a creative, supportive staff who are always around to help, encourage, and inspire. We aim to strengthen the students’ creative and cultural capital by engaging them with their own cultural discourses through art making.

[gmz02]

Mood;;22 weeks;; (at Yollocalli Arts Reach)

[cmonmayne-blog]

March 8th 2016

A year ago today I was abroad in Australia. Time is as skewed as it became. I had work to do and deadlines that were overdue. I creeped on my friends Instagram’s from back home. Chicago. It was late, about 4 AM and it was time for some shut eye. I couldn’t sleep. I shuffled around for a few hours before I looked at my phone for distraction. If only I had left my phone untouched, I’d have gotten a few more hours to add to the sleepless nights that awaited me. 

Just as I turned it over, I realized I was receiving a text message. It was from a long-distance lover at the time. My eyes widened and heart immediately began to race as I read something like “Pasta died...I’m so sorry” 

Pasta was one of my best friends. We didn’t know each other very long - we had just become really good friends over the last year - but he was among the handful of friends who I texted with quite frequently while abroad. He’d tag me in funny Simpson snippets referencing Australia or Lizards. We met at the park a few years back when I was in High School. He was shy so we didn’t talk much. I saw him periodically throughout the years at different events. I wanted to friends with him and his friends. They were so goofy, just eavesdropping on their conversations was hilarious. Wow, I sound like a creep. Anyway, I became squad with his friends and we eventually became close through Yollocalli, an arts reach for the youth. We gossiped and exchanged love stories. We shared bits about our past and truths about our present. Things aren’t always as they appear but we made the best of our days. I treasured every moment spent with him from the dawn of our friendship. I couldn’t wait to hangout when I got back.

Tears began to stream down my face as I tried to catch my breath with each one fleeting before I could gasp. I began to cry. I began to scream. I was in shock, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Over and over. 

I saw a picture of him, lifeless. On Facebook. I didn’t sleep for a few days. 

That same week, my uncle had arrived in Australia and was driving up from Melbourne to say hello and take me on a roadtrip up to Uluru. It was exactly what I needed. A familiar face. I don’t exactly like to share my feelings with family members. I grew up hard. I’m an emotional person but when it comes to personal trauma I try not to crack. I let out tears on the passengers side in secret, glazing over the hot desert I tried not to talk about it too much. My uncle woke me up one night asking if I was okay. I was confused by his question until I felt my face. I had been crying in my sleep. 

I was fucked for the remainder of the semester. 

TBC....

[yollocalli]

We participated in ChiTeen Lit Fest with a panel/workshop: Designing Your Story Through Sound, and it was such a thrill! 

Sharing how we developed the structure of an audio piece (scriptwriting) through the composition of scenarios with the goal to engage and connect the listener with their story. Each teen in our class, Your Story, Your Way! uses sound design to bring their words to life; blurring the lines – where storytelling becomes informative and creates awareness on teens’ opinions, concerns, feelings and emotions about what’s happening in our society!! 

Meet this amazing group of teens: 

Cecilia Ruiz, Yajaira Quiñonez and Brian Cruz are storytellers, writers and audio producers from the Little Village neighborhood. Cecilia is a goofy feminist boxer and memeist high school sophomore. Yajaira lives in a complicated world in which she collapses all her fictional stories. In her spare time she will walk for hours and hours, that is where most her ideas come. Her other source of inspiration is drawing and listening to the weird type of music you find on youtube. She’s a HS graduate and freeloader. Brian is a freshman college student at Harold Washington College. He’s currently studying for accounting but is willing to keep doing journalism as a hobbie. By the way, he loves cats and music. Wow… Emmanuel Ramirez, our moderator is cool!! 

[manriquez-st]

El nuevo Latino

Publicado en Revista Contratiempo (Septiembre 2016)

“Con el tiempo, las definiciones cambian y las respuestas se vuelven largas y más complejas” contestó José Antonio Burciaga, alguna vez en la ciudad de México cuando un reportero no quedó conforme con la respuesta a ¿qué es ser Chicano? Porque al parecer él quería saber lo que realmente significaba…

Leyendo a profundidad el ensayo de Burciaga, Return to the Motherland, me atreví a hacer una percepción mucho más extensa a la actual situación sociológica de los Estados Unidos, no solo abarcando el concepto Chicano, México-americano o inclusive Mexicano, sino lo Latinoamericano como un solo ente. ¿Qué es ser Latinoamericano en los Estados Unidos? ¿Quién es y cómo se definiría? Ante varios bosquejos e intentos por aterrizar este texto, que creo yo intentará dar una perspectiva actual de cómo se ha tornado nuestro hábitat, la convivencia y el crecimiento de nuestras comunidades. Comencé cuestionando si acaso un nuevo latino está emergiendo, o si ya existía y ahora se encuentra en un momentum, pero sobre todo, ¿qué nos hace diferentes a generaciones pasadas? Despu��s decidí salir a buscar mi respuestas a las calles de los barrios de la ciudad de Chicago, donde se concentran altos porcentajes de la comunidad latina – Pilsen, Little Village, Brighton Park, Logan Square, Humboldt Park, entre otros –, a distintos eventos, puntos de encuentro, a platicar con amistades, miembros de la comunidad e inclusive con visitantes.

Con mucha seguridad, al igual que Burciaga, no podría asignar un significado al latinoamericano en Estados Unidos. Son demasiadas capas. Migrantes que llegaron a trabajar en las ferroviarias, granjas, campos, acereras, fábricas y empacadoras, entre mediados de los 40s hasta los 60s; y a partir de ahí, para otros la eterna búsqueda de trabajo y un mejor futuro para sus familias. Las primeras generaciones de migrantes se  establecían temporalmente para más tarde traer a sus familias, así la primera, segunda y tercera generación de migrantes y empalmándose una sobre otra, siguieron llegando en las décadas consecutivas. Con paso del tiempo, los inmigrantes evolucionaron, se ramificaron creando comunidades dentro de comunidades.

Hoy en día el inmigrante latinoamericano sigue aterrizando en los Estados Unidos, por distintas circunstancias. Pero este latinoamericano se está incrustando en estas comunidades ya formadas, no tiene la necesidad de crear, si no de renovarlas e innovarlas. Este nuevo migrante, viene preparado, estudiado, es un emprendedor y en todo esto converge con las nuevas generaciones de latinos nacidos en Estados Unidos; una generación consciente de los estragos y padecimientos de sus padres, abuelos en este país, con estudios a base de esfuerzos propios y/o a base de sacrificios de una familia entera, con la convicción de generar el cambio personal, familiar y comunitario.

Este latino ve la vida en Estados Unidos con aspiraciones y ven una gran oportunidad para dejar huella mediante espacios de creación, círculos de convivencia, expresión y colaboración mutua; trabajando juntos en distintos campos. En Chicago encontré que existen infusiones de letrados, literatos y académicos dentro de una revista como contratiempo hasta editoriales independientes como Siete Vientos; artistas ilustradores recién llegados de Ciudad de México como Chema Skandal! compartiendo escena con ilustradores chicanos, como Eric García de Nuevo México; artistas mujeres de distintas generaciones dejando legado artístico como Diana Solís, quien además incursiona en lo empresarial con su tienda galería Pilsen Outpost o Vanessa Sánchez, quien está a cargo de una nueva generación juvenil artística como directora de Yollocalli Arts Reach; festivales incluyentes como Villapalooza en la pleno corazón de La Villita, el barrio mexicano más grande del medio oeste, incorporando a la comunidad musical, artística y a sus habitantes dándoles brecha a compartir distintos gustos generacionales y exponiéndose a nuevos ��mbitos o el más reciente Ruido Fest en Pilsen, el único festival en su clase y magnitud en el país trayendo música alternativa en Español, nueva y de antaño. No puedo olvidar la exquisitas fusiones gastronómicas de un Sobremesa Supper Club (Puerto Rico / Perú / Colombia / Argentina y con el corazón puesto en el resto de Latinoamérica) incorporando a sus cenas, platillos y salsas un condimento adicional, el arte y la música; desde los vintage latin sounds con los coleccionistas de disco en vinil de (((SONORAMA))) pasando por los ritmos fusión de Dos Santos Anti-beat Orquesta hasta los ritmos bailables del peruano Bumbac Joe; y sin dejar de mencionar eventos, colectivos y puntos de encuentro como un Harbee Liquors, Cumbiasazo y/o Future Rootz y espacios culturales como Cultura en Pilsen o La Catrina Café.

Todos estos nombres, proyectos forman tan solo una pequeña lista de lo extensa que puede ser una comunidad dentro de una comunidad; expandiendo nuestras raíces a otras comunidades latinoamericanas fuera y dentro del país. Esta nueva generación se encuentra conectada, la tecnología en gran parte es la causal, pero la necesidad ante la aún latente lucha como migrantes y minorías nos mantiene más unidos que nunca. La convivencia generacional y cultural entre latinos se está creando a base de esta unificación donde visiblemente es importante recordar y enorgullecerse de su país pero es aún más estimulante la inmersión de ideas, fusiones y transfusiones. Estamos viviendo un momento de edificaciones culturales creativas e intangibles. Nuestra presencia es vasta, firme y convincente, algo con lo que Burciaga estaría de acuerdo conmigo ya que el termina su ensayo diciendo:  “Pero somos ahora de este lado de la frontera y parte de una nueva era de concientización e independencia”

[solidgoldsilva]

The kids on my summer mural project with Yollocalli Arts Reach started snappin' (chalk lines) today.

[gilsandoval]

Maguey (2014) Collaborative project through Yollocalli Arts Reach Located on 26th St. Near Ridgeway

[nuskyn]

runo