Possible Futures: Developing Plural Practices in Contemporary Visual Art, Part 2 ft. Eva Aguila of Coaxial

ZOOM LINK TO PARTICIPATE: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86552333784

Though the most commonly recognized professional roles for artists are gallery representation and teaching, these models’ availability and stability are increasingly precarious. The weight of the global coronavirus pandemic and ensuing economic crisis has added new depth to this insecurity, and the recent social justice uprising has led to questions around artists’ professional ambitions in relation to their personal values. These and other cultural shifts are leading artists to consider new ways to make and share their work while meeting their financial needs and deepening their connections to their communities.

In this pair of events conceived by Virginia Broersma, artist and founder of The Artist’s Office, and Corrina Peipon, artist and independent consultant, and developed in conjunction with Asuka Hisa, ICA LA’s Director of Learning and Engagement, we will discuss the role of self-determination in developing models of visual art practice that expand our understanding of what a sustainable, resilient career in contemporary art can look like. These 2-hour events will take place on zoom and will unfold in two parts: 1. Moderated panel discussion with three artist guests; 2. Breakout groups in which attendees can discuss the topics addressed in the panel, share knowledge, and receive conversational feedback about current or developing plural practices.

Session 1, July 22 from 4-6pm features artists Mandy Harris Williams, Programming Director at Women’s Center for Creative Work and Bari Ziperstein, founder of BZippy & Co.

Session 2 on July 29 from 4-6pm features artists Eva Aguila, co-founder of Coaxial Arts Foundation; Debra Scacco, founder of the Artist in Residence program at the Los Angeles Clean Tech Incubator; and Devon Tsuno, activist, educator, and founder of Praxis Studio at Cal State University, Dominguez Hills.

About the artists of Part 2:
Eva Aguila is a Los Angeles-based multimedia artist who works in sound, video, theater, and performance art, and draws inspiration from structuralist film practices. She co-founded and is the artistic director of Coaxial Arts Foundation, an artist-run nonprofit space in downtown Los Angeles dedicated to experimental sound, video, and performance art. Coaxial Arts Foundation was created to support and expand the community of multimedia artists in Los Angeles.

Artist, curator and creative strategist Debra Scacco studies contemporary and historic structures of permission. Working at the intersection of history, culture and environment, her work connects policy to people by highlighting individual stories impacted by entrenched political structures.

Devon Tsuno is an artist and fourth generation Angeleno. His spray paint and acrylic paintings, artist’s books, community projects and print installations focus on Japanese American history, immigrants, native vs non-native plants, water, labor, and public space.

Virginia Broersma is a Los Angeles-based artist whose work focuses on patterns of representation in figurative painting. Her engagement with the art community involves curating, writing, collaborative projects, public art and organizing support for artists.

Corrina Peipon is an independent art worker with a plural practice that encompasses art making, business, curatorial work, teaching, and writing. She founded her consulting practice in 2018 as a way to use her twin interests in art and business to help creative people navigate the opportunities and challenges they face in their careers. Her consulting, teaching, and advocacy work are focused on empowering art workers.

Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (ICA LA) is an epicenter of artistic experimentation and incubator of new ideas.

Founded in 1984 as the Santa Monica Museum of Art (SMMoA) and reestablished in 2017 with a new identity and home in Downtown Los Angeles, ICA LA builds upon a distinguished history of bold curatorial vision and innovative programming to illuminate the important untold stories and emerging voices in contemporary art and culture. The museum’s 12,700 square-foot renovated industrial building—designed by wHY Architecture under the leadership of Kulapat Yantrasast—features ample space for exhibitions, public programs, retail pop-ups, integrated offices, and special projects.

ICA LA’s mission is to support art that sparks the pleasure of discovery and challenges the way we see and experience the world, ourselves, and each other. ICA LA is committed to upending hierarchies of race, class, gender, and culture. Through exhibitions, education programs, and community partnerships, ICA LA fosters critique of the familiar and empathy with the different.

ICA LA is committed to making contemporary art relevant and accessible for all. Admission is free.

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