Rosa M. Valdez works in progress

Article about Reinventing Memory

2009-02-18T16:05:00.001-08:00

Many thanks to journalist Sam Attal from The Advocate at Contra Costa College for writing a story on our exhibition in the Eddie Rhodes gallery. Here's the link for you to read the story.

Also, this is the last week to see the exhibition as we will de-install on Friday, February 20th. Here is one of my favorite images by Mark Lindsay from the exhibition. I also love Philip's work but I don't have any images of the work from the exhibition. Check out his website by clicking here.

Reinventing Memory: Photographic Explorations

2009-01-19T21:48:00.000-08:00

You're invited to the opening reception of Reinventing Memory: Photographic Explorations by Mark Lindsay, Philip Ringler and yours truly on Thursday, January 29th from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. The exhibition is on view at the Eddie Rhodes Gallery in the Art Building at Contra Costa College in San Pablo. Click here for directions to the campus.

I feel very fortunate to be exhibiting work with two wonderful artists and colleagues who push the boundaries of photographic expression. Mark creates beautiful black and white photos utilizing old family snapshots, combining these with his own landscape images. Philip works with traditional darkroom techniques to create large scale photos (approximately 5' high) of familiar places that speak to the human condition. I'll be showing new prints from my work on the feminicides.

I hope you can make it!

Reinventing Memory: Photographic Explorations

2009-01-07T20:56:00.000-08:00

Next week, I'll be exhibiting artwork with two wonderful artists and friends, Mark Lindsay and Philip Ringler. Our show Reinventing Memory: Photographic Explorations will open at the Eddie Rhodes Gallery in the Art Department at Contra Costa College. The college is located at 2600 Mission Bell Dr. in San Pablo.

Join us for our opening reception on Thursday, January 29th in the evening. More details to follow...

Proper Behavior, Damas Malcriadas

2008-11-12T19:36:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a long time since my last post but I want to invite all of you to swing by the 2nd floor of the Rosenberg Library at City College of San Francisco to view my latest exhibition, Proper Behavior, Damas Malcriadas (Ill-Bred Ladies, Buen Comportamiento). For this exhibition, I collaborated with my friend and fellow artist, Heidi Forssell. Heidi's two self-portraits, Support System and Fixed Perspective are featured in the show along with a series of new works that I created on silk and two collaborative pieces.

Below is our statement for the show:
As artists and women, we are deeply concerned with the societal value of women. In this exhibition, we seek to address the ways in which women are valued and defined while exploring the tension between external representations of women and real women’s realities. In our work, we each utilize humor and earnestness to delve into preconceptions about women’s roles in society while examining the stereotypical objectification of women. We both aim to throw a wrench at the societal values that distort and misrepresent us in an effort to create critical dialogue and alternative feminine identities for all women. We hope to inspire laughter, curiosity, skepticism, hope and action.

¡Salud! exhibition

2008-09-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

I have some artwork on exhibit at the Women's Cancer Resource Center in Oakland. This Saturday, September 6th in the afternoon, the center will host an art opening along with a health fair for the Latino community.

See details below:

¡Salud! A Celebration of Latino Art, Health & Community

This Latino Heritage Month event features a health and art fair with cancer and health information in English and Spanish; a visual art show with art by more than twelve local Latino artists; free snacks; Latin American music and performance by La Peña Community Chorus and Jesus Guillen; a nutrition presentation (in Spanish) by Laura Brainin-Rodriguez M.P.H., a free raffle and other information fromlocal organizations including: The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society,Women’s Cancer Resource Center, Charlotte Maxwell Complementary Clinic,American Cancer Society, Women’s Health Rights Coalition-ACCESS,Community Resources for Independent Living, Center for Elders Independence, Bay Area Legal Aid, Federal Dept. of Agriculture, Street Level Health Project, MASA, Project Open Hand, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, National Bone Marrow Donor Program, Women’s Initiative/ALAS, Farmacia Remedios, Northern California Cancer Center, Shanti, Breast Cancer Action & more

VISUAL ARTISTS: Fernando Reyes, Cristian Guerrero, Laila Espinoza, Kristina Lovato-Hermann, Luz Marina Ruiz, Michael Arbulu, Rosa Valdez, Querido Galdo, Gabriela Nuñez, Gabriel Navar, Rachelanne Palacios, Mica Valdez, Corazon del Pueblo, Estudio Martita, Las Comadres and more.

DATE: Saturday, September 6th, 2008

TIME: 10 AM – 2 PM

LOCATION: Women’s Cancer Resource Center (WCRC), 5741 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland CA 94609

This event is intended to promote awareness of health and cancer in Latino communities and to promote Latina Services at these organizations including support groups, information, social services and a variety of complementary treatments such as acupuncture,massage, and herbs. We also want to celebrate our culture and community. Everyone is welcome to attend.

More Photos!

2008-05-14T21:14:00.001-07:00

Photos from my MFA Exhibition

2008-05-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

These are some of the photos from my recent MFA exhibition. The installation photos were taken by local photographer, Sibila Savage. She's fabulous and easy to work with. Malik Johnson, Sibila's assistant did an incredible job with Photoshop on the images with the video installations. More info to come about the other works featured.

10th Annual Latino Art Auction at MACLA!!!

2008-05-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

Don't miss this year's Latino Art Auction at MACLA. The auction is taking place this Saturday, May 17 starting at 6:00 p.m. This event sells out every year so get your tickets NOW. The proceeds go to support the visual arts, performing and literary arts programs, youth arts programs and community development projects. There are some very beautiful pieces that are part of the auction...works by Mitsy Avila Ovalles, Victor and Carlos Cartagena, the amazing Maria Magdalena Campos Pons, Favianna Rodriguez and yours truly. I've donated an archival digital print of three of my 665 image transfers.

665 Exhibition at City College of San Francisco

2008-05-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

Leslie Simon from the Women's Studies Department at City College of San Francisco invited me to exhibit a portion of my project, 665 at the new Mission campus to coincide with the Murder in the Margins: Global Systems of Exploitation conference. This project was organized by the Women’s Studies Department and other Departments at City College of San Francisco and by the Women’s Studies and Raza Studies Departments at San Francisco State University. Now that the conference is over, you can view my work at the City College of San Francisco Library on the Ocean campus. Click here for more information on my exhibition and all of the wonderful programs at the library.

mujeres de carne y hueso / women of flesh and blood

2007-10-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

The Arts and Consciousness Gallery of John F. Kennedy University presents Rosa M. Valdez’s exhibition, mujeres de carne y hueso / women of flesh and blood. Valdez, daughter of Mexican immigrants, artist, and community activist, works in the tense space between cultural expectations of women in her community and the possible creation of a new feminine identity. The exhibition explores women’s roles, the stereotypical objectification of and violence against women, and the tension between external representations and real women’s realities. The exhibit will feature photography, video installation, garments, and an installation involving 665 image transfers that commemorate the victims of feminicide in Latin America.

Valdez’s work was most recently included in the Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana’s (MACLA) Chicana/o Biennal “an exhibition and public forum conceived to take an inventory of emergent energy, critical edge, and aesthetic interventions within contemporary Chicano art.”

Her work pierces the (artificial) divide between the personal and the political and invites viewers to participate in creating alternative spaces for women to define who they are.

Arts and Consciousness Gallery
John F. Kennedy University
2956 San Pablo Ave., 2nd Floor
Berkeley, CA

Dates: November 26 – December 14, 2007
Viewing Hours: Monday - Friday, 11 am - 6 pm, and Saturdays, December 1 and 8, 12pm -5 pm
Reception: December 1, 6:30 – 9:30 pm

The Chicana/o Biennial at MACLA

2007-08-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

My piece 665 (seiscientos sesenta y cinco) has been juried into the Chicana/o Biennial at MACLA in San Jose (check out MACLA's website for more information).

I am very excited to be part of this exhibition since the issues explored are very timely. The show focuses on the connections between art, politics, community-building and the potential for social change. On the right, you'll find the exhibition postcard which features my work along with the work of artists Viviana (Viva) Paredes, Joaquin Newman and emael.

Here are the details:

The exhibition runs from on August 1 - September 22, 2007
Opening Reception: Friday, August 3 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Artists' Talk: Thursday, August 16 at 6:30 p.m.

MACLA (Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana)
510 S. First St.
San Jose, CA 95113

I hope to see you there!

Still Looking for Photos

2007-08-01T23:08:00.000-07:00

Dear family, friends and supporters,

I am still looking for photos in order to complete my art project in response to the feminicides. I have received many beautiful photos of women from many people around the world. Yet, I need more to reach my goal of 665. Please pass this information to any family, friends or people who you think may be interested.

I am seeking photographs of all types - black & white, color, digital (higher than 72 dpi and at least 2 x 3 inches), vintage and/or contemporary. You can send me photos via e-mail, lend me the originals or send color copies. I will take very good care of your photos and return them to you right away. I will not use these photos in any other context. I ask that you send photographs of women in your family and/or friends of all ages.

Many people have inquired about my request and use of personal photographs instead of photographs from other sources. One of the goals of this project is to have individuals reflect on the special women in their lives and to attempt to personalize the issue of the feminicides. Many families in Latin America are losing their mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, and spouses. What would happen if we were to lose the special women in our lives? Please feel free to contact me via e-mail if you are interested and/or have any questions at rosamvaldez@gmail.com.

Installation View from Stitches in Time

2007-06-07T22:58:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be a good idea to post an image from my current installation at the Richmond Health Center for those of you who don't live in the area.

When I install the pieces, I always leave an empty space at the bottom right hand corner in order to emphasize the idea that if we do not take action on this issue we may lose another woman to violence.

More images to follow...

Mujeres Iniciando en las Americas & Fundación Sobrevivientes Ask for Your Help

2007-06-07T14:38:00.000-07:00

I met Lucia Muñoz, Founder and Executive Director of Mujeres Iniciando en las Americas (www.miamericas.info/index.html), at the conference on the feminicides at Stanford University. She is currently working with Norma Cruz from the Fundación Sobrevivientes (www.sobrevivientes.org) in Guatemala which provides a multitude of services to women who are survivors of violence. Additionally, the organization works with families who have lost women to violence. They have asked that I help spread the word about their collaborative efforts to have the International Olympic Committee meeting change its location and recognize that feminicide is occurring in Guatemala.

Lucia and Norma write:
"We undertake this letter-writing campaign with the goal of raising awareness among the international community about the large-scale violence that is still taking place in Guatemala, and in the hope that international pressure will force the Guatemalan government to take action to stop the femicide and bring about justice for the victims and their families.

Please join us in asking the International Olympic Committee to recognize the femicide that is occurring in Guatemala, and demand that the Guatemalan government take action to end these horrific murders before it receives the support of the International Community. Simply send the attached letter, making whatever edits you care to make to personalize it, to the following email addresses, which represent the National Olympic Committees.

Because we doubt that the IOC will relocate their meeting in Guatemala, MIA and Sobrevivientes will join during this event (July 4th -7th) to put a vigil every night during these meetings.

Please join us in Guatemala.

Please “CC” any letters sent the Olympic Committee to MIA at
miamericas@yahoo.com
Send letters to: odepa@oem.com.mx, info@acnolympic.org, acnoa@camnet.cm, info@ocasia.org, secretariat@eurolympic.org, onoc@onoc.org.fj, pressoffice@olympic.org
consultec.coi@bearcomlatam.com, anthony.edgar@olympic.org

Thank you. We appreciate your support.

Sincerely,
Lucia Munoz, Founder and Executive Director of MIA.and Norma Cruz, Fundacion Sobrevivientes"

Dear Members of the International Olympic Committee:

We write to express our concern regarding your meeting scheduled in Guatemala City in July 2007.
We represent an organization called MIA (Mujeres Iniciando en las Americas, or Women Initiating in the Americas) in the US and Fundacion Sobrevivientes (Survivors) in Guatemala. Our goal is to raise awareness of the ongoing gender-motivated violence in Guatemala which has reached historic levels. In Guatemala today, thousands of women are sexually abused, tortured, raped, mutilated, and murdered simply because of their gender. The Guatemalan government perpetuates the misogynistic violence by breeding a culture of impunity. It does nothing to investigate or stop these tragic acts and is often complicit in them.

Thirty-six years of civil war left Guatemala with a legacy of hatred and violence toward women. Soldiers learned to think of rural women as the enemy. The military believed that the guerrilla forces were comprised entirely of peasants, and that by killing peasants, they would annihilate the insurgent forces. Women in particular were targeted, because soldiers believed they were the enemy who brought new generations of insurgent forces into the world.

After the 1996 Peace Accords, soldiers who had learned for years to regard women as the enemy became civilians, taking their hatred of women back home with them into civilian life.

Today, women of all socioeconomic backgrounds are targeted simply because they are women.
Every year, more than 600 women are brutally murdered, more often than not after being sexually abused and tortured. The Guatemalan government brings no one to justicehas done nothing to investigate or stop these tragic killings. Since 2001, over 3,000 women have lost their lives, and only 1% of the crimes have been prosecuted. In fact, the government is complicit in the oppression of Guatemalan women, because such oppression serves to maintain the patriarchal nature of Guatemalan society. In fact, Guatemalan president, Oscar Berger, has explicitly stated that women wishing to feel safe and secure should simply remain in their homes, implying that women who dare to step out of traditional female gender roles deserve whatever happens to them.

We feel that it is inappropriate for the International Olympic Committee, an organization which seeks to create a more peaceful world through sport, to endorse a government that treats half of its own population as second class citizens. The government of Guatemala receives economic aid from countries such as the United States, yet has dedicated no resources to creating a safe space for its female citizens, or to seeking justice for the victims and their families. We believe that, until the government of Guatemala dedicates itself to creating a peaceful society in which all of its citizens are safe and protected, the international community should withhold its support from the country.

We recognize and herald the IOC’s desire to bring much-needed economic stimulus to impoverished nations by holding its major conclaves in locations such as Guatemala City. However, the IOC must not sacrifice its high ideals in pursing this strategy. Many other nations which do not turn a blind eye to the type of gruesome discrimination practiced by Guatemala’s patriarchy and government are deserving of the IOC’s resources.
We implore you to reconsider your choice of Guatemala City as the location for your July meeting. Otherwise, the IOC is issuing a de-facto endorsement of the Guatemalan government’s misogynistic domestic policies. These policies are not in accordance with the Olympic spirit of peace and equality for all the world’s citizens.

For more information on MIA, please visit www.miamericas.info or contact Lucia Munoz at 714-915-3805. For Sobrevivientes, contact Norma Cruz in Guatemala at 22850139 (Spanish only).

Stitches In Time: Memory Imprinted

2007-06-06T11:06:00.000-07:00

A portion of my art piece on the feminicides is currently being exhibited at the Richmond Health Center.

Below is a portion of the curatorial statement by Ann Schnake, ArtsChange's Artistic Director:

Stitches II: Identity Imprinted features the artwork of eight multicultural women artists, exploring individual stories, familial narratives and cultural identities. Stitches is a contemporary examination of traditional women’s handiwork, both honoring women’s domestic activities, and re-wiring and reprinting them as a source of new inspiration. We invite you to view the unusual textile, embroidery and multimedia works in this show as expressions of individual and collective women's identities, and an honoring of the range of women’ s work by hand, from daily activity, to activism, to fine art. The work in this show is a diverse yet cohesive body of work that includes:

May Chan’s shoes woven from her own hair and a round quilt made from remnants of baby clothes and letters from her mother in China celebrating the fullness of her daily life as mother, daughter and artist.
Lisa Solomon’s series of embroidered self-portraits shown from the back side, based on childhood wallet size photographs, small “weeping” stories.
Rosa Valdez’s on-going community project, 665, a response to the femicides in Latin America. Rosa creates one photographic rubbing on paper for every woman murdered in Guatemala in 2005.

The exhibition will be on display from June 4 to September 1, 2007 at the Richmond Health Center, 100 38th Street, Richmond.

Arts and Healing Network Link

2007-06-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

My blog has been added to the Arts and Healing Network website under the title, "Art and Healing Blogs" (http://www.artheals.org/inspiration/blogs.php?startPlace=10).

The Arts and Healing Network is an amazing resource where you can search for artist grants, open calls, artist interviews, arts organizations and many other topics relating to artistic production and healing. I highly recommend this website. There is a link to the home page in the LINKS section of this blog.

International Conference on the Feminicides

2007-05-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

On May 16 – 19th, Stanford University will host an international conference that will examine the increased murders of women in Mexico, Guatemala and Canada. The main goal of the conference is to stop these violent crimes against women and to seek justice for the victims and their families.

The conference will feature presentations by the renowned writer Elena Poniatowska, artist Lourdes Portillo, Norma Cruz from the Sobreviventes Organization in Guatemala and several other important academics and activists.

The conference is free and open to the public. For more information, please visit:
http://ccsre.stanford.edu/feminicide/index.html

Photos Needed to Complete Project

2007-04-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

Dear family, friends and supporters,
I am still looking for photos in order to complete my art project in response to the feminicides. I have received many beautiful photos of women from many people around the world. Yet, I need more to reach my goal of 665. Please pass this information to any family, friends or people who you think may be interested.

If you are unfamiliar with my project, please read my very first posting in the February archive (on the right hand side) to get more details about the purpose and goal of this work. Essentially, I want to draw attention to the vast numbers of women who are being brutally murdered in Latin America, denounce the legacy of impunity and create a network of solidarity for women outside of Latin America.

I am seeking photographs of all types - black & white, color, digital (higher than 72 dpi and at least 2 x 3 inches), vintage and/or contemporary. You can send me photos via e-mail, lend me the originals or send color copies. I will take very good care of your photos and return them to you right away. I will not use these photos in any other context. I ask that you send photographs of women in your family and/or friends of all ages. Many people have inquired about my request and use of personal photographs instead of photographs from other sources. One of the goals of this project is to have individuals reflect on the special women in their lives and to attempt to personalize the issue of the feminicides. Many families in Latin America are losing their mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, and spouses. What would happen if we were to lose the special women in our lives?

Please feel free to contact me via e-mail if you are interested and/or have any questions at rosamvaldez@gmail.com.

Exhibition Extended

2007-04-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

Our student exhibition has been extended for another week!

I am currently part of an exhibition featuring the work of the Beyond the Studio: Community Collaborations course at John F. Kennedy University. The exhibition features our work in progress of proposed projects that address art and social change. As I had posted earlier, I am exhibiting a small portion of my piece in response to the femicides.

Please stop by the university and take a look at the work.

Important Article

2007-03-27T16:40:00.000-07:00

My friend sent me a link to an article written by Meghann Farnsworth, a graduate student at UC Berkeley's School of Journalism which I find very compelling on several levels. It relates the story of a young Guatemalan woman who was victim of an extremely violent crime and has been forced to live in hiding out of fear. The article raises questions on the corruption and collaboration involved in violence against women in Guatemala, while expressing a mix of compassion, helplessness and hope. The link for the article is: http://www.tomdispatch.com/index.mhtml?emx=x&pid=177784

Please note: the article contains very graphic descriptions of violence.

Exhibitions of my Femicide Art Project:

2007-03-18T22:57:00.000-07:00

Exhibitions of my Femicide Art Project:
I will exhibit a portion of my piece on the femicides at John F. Kennedy University, Works in Progress Gallery, starting April 4th - April 14th. The campus is located in Berkeley at 2956 San Pablo Ave. I hope you can come by and see the piece in progress!
I have also been confirmed to exhibit at the Richmond Health Clinic opening in May and closing in August as part of a special women’s exhibition sponsored by the arts organization, ArtsChange. I have been working at ArtsChange since May of last year and love the mission of the organization. Please visit the website at: http://www.artschange.org/index.html

Radio Segment to air on March 17th, 2007

2007-03-14T15:46:00.000-07:00

Radio Segment to air on March 17th, 2007:
Recently, I was interviewed about my femicide project by Matt Vande Voorde, a radio producer at KALX 90.7 fm. The radio segment will air on Saturday, March 17th, 2007 at 11:00 am under the Women Hold Up Half the Sky program. Please note that you can listen to the program online at: http://kalx.berkeley.edu/

Resources

2007-03-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

Resources:
The Center for Gender & Refugee Studies at UC Hastings College of Law has excellent and detailed reports on the current situation of the femicides in Guatemala. Please visit them at http://cgrs.uchastings.edu/campaigns/femicide.php

The Fundación Sobrevivientes based in Guatemala is a non-profit organization who works to support women who are survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse. They also provide services to the families of victims of femicide http://www.sobrevivientes.org/

Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa is an organization based in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico that was started by the families, primarily mothers, of the victims of femicide. Please visit them at: http://www.mujeresdejuarez.org/ Their website contains information in several different languages.

Also, I highly urge you to consider supporting the work of the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, the Fundación Sobrevivientes and Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa with a financial contribution. These organizations were started by women for women and are doing amazing work!

Take Action

2007-03-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

Take Action:
Stay informed with the latest news by visiting the Amnesty International website at http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/guatemala/index.do to obtain their reports. Amnesty International has also posted direct actions in which you can participate. A House Resolution condemning these brutal killings has been reintroduced by Representatives Burton (R-IN), Lee (D-CA), Lantos (D-CA), Solis (D-CA) and Engel (D-NY) urging both the United States and Guatemalan Governments to do more to bring an end to this human rights violation (H. Res. 100). Urge your Representative to sign on to this important resolution. Please follow the link to Amnesty International’s urgent action: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=goJTI0OvElH&b=953489&template=x.ascx&action=8020

Art Project in Response to the Femicides in Latin America

2007-02-17T18:52:00.000-08:00

In 2005, 665 women were killed in Guatemala, surpassing the total number of women killed in Juarez, Mexico over a ten year period. I am embarking on an art project to bear witness to these atrocities, to stand in solidarity with the friends and families of the murdered women and to denounce the legacy of impunity that has allowed these murders to happen and go unpunished. Although I am utilizing the femicide figures for Guatemala, these figures are symbolic of the escalation in violence against women all over the world. Please join me in this act of remembrance and solidarity.

About the Project:

I am creating rubbings from a combination of vintage and contemporary photos of women and girls of all ages, ranging from formal portraits to snapshots onto cards (please see attached photo). I do not want these photographs to represent the women who were murdered. Rather, I want the women depicted on the cards and the donor of the photos to stand in solidarity with women and their families. My goal is to complete a grid of 665 cards which will measure approximately 4.5 x 25 feet.

How to help:

Please allow me to use 3 or more photographs of women in your family and/or friends of all ages to add to the grid. (Many people have inquired about my request and use of personal photographs instead of photographs from other sources. One of the main goals of this project is to have individuals reflect on the impact of a special woman or women in their lives. What would happen if we were to lose them? Unfortunately, this is the reality that many families are facing with the femicides.) I can use all types of photos - black & white, color, digital (higher than 72 dpi and at least 2 x 3 inches), vintage and/or contemporary. You can send me photos via e-mail, lend me the originals or send color copies. I will take very good care of your photos and return them to you right away. I will not use these photos in any other context. Please feel free to contact me via e-mail if you are interested and/or have any questions at rosamvaldez@gmail.com. Also, pass on this info to family and friends who may be interested.