Jimmy Lucero, MFA
|
||
Artist's Statement |
||
|
||
I am an avant-garde artist who creates images about disenfranchised or underrepresented people of the community. My passion is to give voice to the immigrants, laborers, and disabled especially in the present socio-economic climate. My goal is to break down barriers and provide access to art for youth in our community. Working on public arts projects has been transformative for me and for the neighborhood. The kids became engaged and proud of the beautiful murals and mosaic images that we were able to design, build, and install on the pillars and roundabout near Interstate 15 in West Salt Lake City. There are almost no opportunities for these kids to express themselves. Their only avenue is illegal tagging and graffiti art which requires using a false name and the risk of getting caught. I want to provide these kids with a public forum for expression where they don't have to hide under the cover of darkness and where they will be rewarded and acknowledged for what they are doing. Developing artistic skills through collaborative public arts works is a relatively new direction for me and one I find immensely rewarding. These public art projects touch so many people and will last for generations. I look forward to brainstorming, teaching, learning, creating, inspiring and completing many more projects. |