ACTIVIST ARTIST

Outdoor Exhibition

For nearly 50 years, SPARC has been at the forefront of advocating for immigrant rights, championing freedom of artistic expression, supporting LGBTQ individuals, women, indigenous people, and other underrepresented and historically marginalized communities. Through our public art and murals we remain steadfast in our mission to foster a future that dignifies and uplifts those who have been denigrated or silenced. 

At this critical moment in American history, the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) invited artists to respond with images that express responses to the election. These submitted artworks are featured in this ongoing outdoor ACTIVIST ARTIST exhibition.


WE ARE NOT DEFEATED because: “when it is darkest, we can see the brilliance of the stars.” Join us in transforming our space into a vibrant testament of resistance. Together, let’s continue to create art that honors our shared commitment to dignity and inclusion. We remain dedicated through our public art and murals to fostering a future that dignifies and uplifts those whose voices deserve to be heard.


Submit Your Work

“This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal. I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge – even wisdom. Like art.”

– Toni Morrison

Green, 2024
Ralph D’Oliveira

“These painting are my therapy for mentally surviving the MAGA insanity.”

Bogeyman, 2021
Ralph D’Oliveira

“This and other paintings were primarily therapeutic for me in terms of MAGA/Project 2025 horrors inflicted upon people of color, the LGBTQ community, civil rights, voting rights and our rights to read books freely without book banning.”

Keep Resisting!, 2019
Jared Schneider Schwartz

“Keep Resisting! is a call that applies whether or not we are currently in a Trump administration, a Republican administration, or any kind of evil administration. The point is that when things are bad or when things are good, we must always seek the thing doing harm and stand up to it, no matter what! In this case, Rosie, a symbol of female empowerment, is the one standing against the literal Wall, bricked tall by some of the many concepts which we must resist. The colors of yellow and purple are designed to grab your attention and encourage you to not look away! Ideally, people come away from this image inspired, and ready to keep fighting those who would do us harm.”

breathe free one, 2023
sandra tamkin

“Reproductive rights in the United States is increasingly at risk. The reversal of Roe v. Wade in June 2022 has shifted the legal landscape around abortion access, contraception, and broader reproductive freedoms. The transfer toward state-by-state control has led to significant disparities in access to abortion, contraception, and other reproductive health services. Low-income individuals and people of color are particularly affected by restrictions on reproductive rights, as they are less likely to have access to healthcare or the resources to travel to states where abortion is still accessible.”

Bring A Folding Chair, 2024
Karen Fiorito

“For this screen print, I chose to make a portrait of Shirley Chisholm. Chisholm was an American politician who became the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress in 1968. In 1972, she became the first black candidate for a major-party nomination for President of the United States and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Throughout her career, she was known for taking “a resolute stand against economic, social, and political injustices,” as well as being a strong supporter of black civil rights and women’s rights. Chisholm’s quote, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair” is a particularly apt reminder that democracy in our hands. We must never make excuses for not bringing our voices to the table just as Shirley did. This portrait is a part of a series of Women Making History on which I have been working.”

Poppy Field, 2021
Annette Lorant

“Poppies look so fragile but are resilient and flexible with the wind.they are also the state flower of California.”

Queen of Fire, 2024
Dakota Noot

“My painting champions a queer, femme body. Instead of softly-rendered or defeated, my body is bold in color. It’s loud, neon, and toxic (while also serving good hair and nails). I know that LGBTQ community will continue to fight despite homophobic and transphobic laws or rhetoric.”

Divine Right of Resistance, 2020
Olivia Ramos

“Divine Right of Resistance is a direct response to the Black Lives Matter movement and protests resulting from the murder of Breonna Taylor, a Black medical worker shot and killed by police, March 2020. Not only did we have to survive a pandemic, but we also mourned police brutality and systemic racism. I wanted to show the outrage of constant injustices in a broken system and the sacredness of resistance to demand change. This pattern of abuse is historical and current to this day, and as long as it continues, there will be uprisings demanding justice. Where there is corruption, there will always be resistance.”

Welcome to America, 2021
Ralph D’Oliveira

“Just the loss of of intellect, talent, hardwork and perseverance by our lack of a coherent border policy.”

Hollywood. 2020., 2020
Jason Kartez

“During the Pandemic I spent a lot of time documenting the protests in LA through drawing and writing in a diary. This image is a recreation from the news image but captures some of the protests I was in 2020. It is relevant because we need to keep our right for free speech and for non violent civil dissidence. In Trumps upcoming presidential term he may resort to using military power to crush non violent protests.”

Woman, 2020
Anastasia Sergeeva

“A self reflection on a complexity of being a woman in nowadays society.”

Grape, 2020
Anastasia Sergeeva

“Artist take on abortion, women rights, and what it means to be a woman in this world.”

Artist Bio

Karen Fiorito is an activist, artist and curator residing in California. Her artwork has been exhibited internationally and featured in major publications such as Art in America, Hyperallergic, Art Forum and ArtNews and featured in such books as American Women Artists in Wartime, Paper Politics: Socially Engaged Printmaking Today and The Design of Dissent. Fiorito has received grants from Change, Inc., the Puffin Foundation, the Pollination Project, A Well Fed World and LUSH Cosmetics for her public art projects. Her current public billboard project, ‘Got Drought?’ has been touring since 2015 (www.gotdrought.info). She is also noted for her controversial ‘Trumpocalypse’ billboard in downtown Phoenix (2017) which gained international media attention. She has curated many art exhibitions, including Evolution/Revolution: The Interconnectedness of All Beings (2011), and Indivisible: United We Stand, Divided We Fall (2020). Her work is in the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Center for the Study of Political Graphics and Self Help Graphics. She holds a M.F.A. from Arizona State University and a B.F.A. form the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and is the President of the Los Angeles Printmaking Society.

Artist Website: https://www.karenfiorito.me/

Instagram: @karenfiorito

Originally from Freeport Maine Jason Kartez is an artist, educator and High School teacher living in Los Angeles California. Kartez holds an M.F.A. from University of Wisconsin Madison and a B.F.A. from Alfred University. Kartez’s art career has spanned such media as glass, sculpture, ceramics, neon, comics, wood and printmaking. Kartez has taught comics at the University of Wisconsin Madison and was the Horatio Alger Jr. Fellow for the study of American Pop Culture at Northern Illinois University. As an educator Jason has taught K-12 as well as undergraduate and graduate students. He has a Clear CTE Credential in Arts, Media and Entertainment and a Single Subject Art credential from Cal State LA. Kartez is deeply invested in art education at the k-12 and college level and is the CTE Fine Arts Coordinator/Instructor and the Design Fundamentals 2 Teacher for 10th grade at Da Vinci Design in El Segundo.

Artist Website: https://www.jasonkartez.com/

Instagram: @jkartez

Instagram: @makeupbyannettelorant

Dakota Noot is a Los Angeles-based artist and curator. He uses drawings, paintings, and installations to create animal-human hybrids that explore rural yet fantastical, queer identities. Originally from Bismarck, North Dakota, he continues to show in both North Dakota and Los Angeles, including solo and two-person shows at Highways Performance Space, MuzeuMM, and PØST. Noot has exhibited in group shows at Charlie James Gallery, Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Torrance Art Museum (FORUM. 2019; MAS-ATTACK, 2016), and “Queer Biennial: What if Utopia?” at LAST Projects. His series of cutout drawing-installations have been shown at LA Freewaves, Cerritos College Art Gallery, and Otis College. Noot has been featured in Hi-Fructose.

Noot graduated with a BFA in Visual Arts from the University of North Dakota (2015) and an MFA from Claremont Graduate University (2017). He teaches at institutions throughout Southern California such as California State Summer School for the Arts, Orange Coast College, and Oxnard College. Along with Christopher Velasco, he co-founded the nomadic curatorial project Scream Queen. He was the key artist for the 2018 Slamdance Film Festival.

Artist Website: https://www.dakotanoot.com/

Instagram: @dakotanoot

Info: Google Arts & Culture

Originally from Vladivostok Russia, Anastasia fell in love with film when she went to school in Vietnam in 2008 and was asked to work on her first movie as a production assistant and translator for the Russian unit. A graduate of San Francisco State University, she holds a BA in technical theatre with emphasis in production design and scenic painting. During her time there she worked as a scenic painting teaching lab assistant while designing scenery and props for theater shows. She started her professional career in San Francisco working as a designer and painter for theater productions. In 2015 she joined IATSE Local 16, where she started in film and television as a scenic painter, and props in art department. Her experience includes productions such as 13 Reasons Why, Sense 8, OA, Chance, Last Black Man in San Francisco. Anastasia moved to LA in 2018 to join Local 800 Art Directors Guild to advance her art department career. Since then she got to work on commercials, paint Star Wars Galaxy Edge, and design sets for Fox Sports. Anastasia’s personal work include commission paintings and collaborations with artists of other genres. 

With great interest in directing and acting, she began creating her own content during the pandemic. Ever since, she made two short films “In the Empty Room” and “Big Day” taking part in such festivals as Cannes Short Film Corner, L.A. Film Festival, Burbank International Film Festival. 

In 2022 Anastasia became union Assistant Art Director in local 800 and looking forward to shift her career more towards design.

Artist Website: https://anastasiafromrussia.myportfolio.com/

Instagram: @artbyanastasiasergeeva

Jared Schneider Schwartz is a full-time artist who has been drawing since he was a little kid, and he still draws as a little adult.

Through it all, he has had one goal: to create artwork that helps the world get better, never worse.

This has led him to create activist-themed artwork which has earned him a spot in the Center for the Study of Political Graphics and into galleries from Orange County, California to Leicester, England.

A multi-international award winner for his illustrations and contemporary artworks, Jared also writes short stories for publications like Mystery Weekly Magazine, and political cartoons for sites like IMMPrint.

His artwork can be found featured in the films Kaufmania (2020), starring Fred Willard and Reggie Watts, and festival favorites like Wedlocked (2015).

Schwartz is self-represented and takes clients on a limited basis.

Artist Website: https://www.jaredsart.com/

Instagram: @jareds_sketches_new

Los Angeles native sandra tamkin has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 30 years, giving her a unique perspective she incorporates in her film and art. She earned her Master of Social Work Degree at the University of Southern California with an emphasis on Community Organizing. Sandra currently serves on the board of Multiracial Americans of Southern California.

Artist Website: https://www.tudordrive.com/

Instagram: @tudordrivestudioes

Painting on large-scale canvases, often created by connecting multiple canvases together, Teresa Greve Wolf urges viewers to stop and take notice of the cause at hand. Her story draws the viewer in, and the issues she paints are very real. It is through her art she uses her voice in hope for positive change. Many of her pieces use mix media to emphasize and create another layer to her story. In her most recent piece, “Threatening Beauty,” Teresa uses a plastic film to create the waves of the ocean to emphasize how we are masking this global issue. In her piece “Women. Life. Freedom”, she incorporates fabrics, collaged imagery of women living in Iran, and a Hijab hanging from the canvas to call attention to recent human rights issues and current events.

Her use of bright bold colors is another way she tries to connect with the viewer. In her piece, “I can’t breathe,” she uses color to grab the viewers’ attention and creates a dramatic picture of the death of George Floyd. She paints bloody broken letters of Justice to re-emphasize how our system and our global society is desperately in need of change.

Her calling for change comes from living during the reign of Augusto Pinochet. Born in Santiago, Chile, Teresa and her husband left the country right around the time he came into power. Teresa states, “This was a difficult time for many because they could not speak their truth without mysteriously disappearing or getting thrown in jail.” Many of her pieces depict the struggles of the Chilean people during this time as well as her own struggles of missing her homeland. 

Artist Website: https://www.teresagrevewolf.com/

Instagram: @teresagrevewolf

Printing Technology: Direct UV Printing on the Wall

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