This summer, Artbound celebrated its one-year anniversary and finished its second season of programming. Season 2 took our exploration of Southern California's cultural landscape to new heights: from the banks of the Tijuana river, to the depths of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes, the vast lands of the Antelope Valley's high desert, and beyond. We witnessed art in museums and on city sidewalks, in tiny studios and under the spotlights of a stage. Since January, we've published 225 new articles, produced 14 short documentaries, and broadcast three hour-long television episodes.
Today, we look back at five of this season's most memorable articles about cultural identity. Through art, a person can amplify their voice, challenge racial perceptions, and visualize the ideas and spirit of their own community. With hundreds of ethnic enclaves in the greater L.A. area, these artists (and more) work to build bridges of understanding between their cultures.
Domestic Affairs: The Poetically Political Art of Nery Gabriel Lemus
Artist Nery Gabriel Lemus gracefully exposes the subtle racial tensions between Latino and African American cultures in his work.
Tomahawks and Tipis: Native American Representations in Commercial Culture
An exhibition rich in humor and optimism, "Where Are the Tipis? Changing Perceptions About Indians" dispels stereotypes long-used by the media.
Polyglot rockers Chicano/Son visited the KCET Studios for a lively session of their son jarocho flavored songs from East L.A.
Counter Cliché: The Asian and Latino Bi-Cultural Experience
Shizu Saldamando's portraits are heavily influenced by Chicano art sensibilities and her Japanese heritage. Her subjects aren't the cookie-cutter characters we see in popular culture, but real, breathing beings actively building their identity.
About Natives, By Natives: Indian Country Playwrights
Native Voices at the Autry puts the spotlight on American Indian playwrights, helping them transition their culturally-inspired works into full-scale productions.
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Top Image: "Gerardo Posing," oil on wood, glitter, by Shizu Saldamando | Courtesy of the artist.
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Architecture/ Design
California becomes an international export by redefining the concept of city and home.
Community Arts
Through workshops, education and placed based projects, art is the connective tissue of a community.
Cultural Politics
Funding bubbles, cultural deserts and the politics of access to the arts in the 21st century.
Film & Media Arts
At the shadow of the entertainment industry, video artists and underground filmmakers take a stand.
Literature
Noir, sunshine and dystopia create a multi-ethnic narrative that is read, watched and admired around the globe.
Multi-Disciplinary
Multi-hyphenate works that combine disciplines, remix dogmas, and reinvent the wheel.
Music
A dialogue between cultures, the music of our state serves up the California dream like no other artform.
Visual Arts
Breaking away from the European and New York vanguard, California reinvents the art world.
