Creating equitable access to the arts, and empowering Youth of Color and Communities affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Leader
Abigail Gomez
Location
Loudoun Street Winchester, VA 22601
To support Youth of Color and Communities affected by Covid-19 in Winchester, Virginia and the Northern Shenandoah Valley, Arte Libre VA (ALVA) will present a series of projects and programs that will use the arts as a way to uplift and support our Communities in this time of crisis and trauma. This program is called Arte Libre in the Time of Corona.
The first phase of Arte Libre in the Time of Corona is creating an Free ALVA Art Kit, with art supplies and project ideas, that will be delivered to Youth of Color in identified partner programs and to those who don't have access to the arts due to the Covid-19 pandemic, free of charge, during the month of May. ALVA will arrange no-contact delivery of Free ALVA Art Kits for up to 240 participating Youth.
The second phase of this program is commissioning artists and teaching artists to create original artwork and web-based content for ALVA to present to Youth of Color and communities affected by Covid-19, as Free Virtual ALVA Workshops. Content generated will be in Spanish, as well as English. This will provide paid work for up to 20 artists and 10 teaching artists, as well as free access for Youth of Color to quality arts education and programming.
The third element of Arte Libre in the Time of Corona is facilitating a series of Virtual Community Mural Collaborations. Mural panels will be painted by ALVA founder and artist Abigail Gomez, after Youth of Color and members of the community contribute the imagery and content for the mural panels, which will then be installed in public spaces. The murals will be informed and created by Youth, collaborating virtually in this time of physical distancing.
I am a Latinx visual artist, teaching artist, arts advocate, and I am the founder of Arte Libre VA (ALVA). ALVA uses the concept of a mobile art studio to empower Latinx and Youth of Color through equitable access to quality arts education and programming. At this time of uncertainty and fear, I want to use the arts as a way to offer support to Youth of Color and Communities of Color, as well as others affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. I want to provide free, equitable and accessible arts programming to Youth in our community, as well as expand ALVA's relationship with the community by providing programming that will use the arts as a way to uplift our communities in this time of crisis and trauma.
Arte Libre in the Time of Corona will create equitable access to the arts for Youth of Color and those in communities affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in Winchester and the Northern Shenandoah Valley.
This project will pay and support artists and teaching artists for sharing their talents at a time when many are out of work.
Arte Libre in the Time of Corona will not only strengthen our community partnerships with nonprofits, local government, and Youth of Color, but it will also support and foster a sense of community pride, as the creative collaborative output of the Youth become a pieces of public art. Uplifting communities during this time of shared crisis through the arts is very important to us, and is something we hope to achieve through Arte Libre in the Time of Corona.
