We are delighted to welcome Elsie Dye Sims as our newest Artist in Residence at SPARC. Her lifelong dedication to art, social justice, and community-building aligns seamlessly with SPARC’s mission. Elsie has utilized art to address social issues, teaching art to children dealing with illness, fundraising for organizations like Planned Parenthood and The Trevor Project, and exploring themes of femininity and resilience in her works. She will enable us to provide printmaking workshops to young people to express themselves in a safe and collaborative space. We are excited to support Elsie in her artistic journey and look forward to the impactful work she will create during her residency with us.
SPARC’s printmaking studio is reawakening. Though fire took my home, studio, and community in the Palisades, an unexpected dream has emerged, a chance to be part of a community art center. In loss, I am finding hope here.
As I return to my work, the theme of home occupies my thoughts more than ever. Home is not just a place, but something we create, and share. I hope others will join me in reflecting on its significance, in Los Angeles and beyond. The studio is more than a space for art; it is a place to begin again.
I look forward to meeting many of you in the upcoming workshops. I invite you to check out my Instagram and website to learn more about my work. Stay tuned!
Exhibit Description: The Dream Resource Center (DRC) launched Undocumented Stories, an exhibit curated by UCLA students, DRC staff, and SolArt on January 24, 2017. Undocumented Stories utilizes storytelling to uplift the lived experiences of the undocumented immigrant community and highlight how they have built a movement to change policies impacting higher education, access to healthcare, and deportation proceedings. Undocumented Stories also include stories…
Emily Winters’ iconic mural on the Venice Beach Boardwalk at Ocean Front Walk and Park Ave, ‘Endangered Species’ will be restored next week by SPARC’s Mural Rescue team with support from the Venice Arts Council Endangered Art Fund, local Park Place residences, and the W. S. Scharff Foundation. Muralist and activist Emily Winters painted the…
Remembering Mark Rogovin Muralist, Activist, Author, and Friend to Judy Baca Rogovin worked alongside Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros in “The March of Humanity” and proceeded to become part of the mural movement in Chicago. Hitting the ground running, he founded the Public Art Workshop and opened the doors for young and aspiring muralists to pursue…
Collaborative art brings a range of people into conversations about their visions for their neighborhoods and their nations.
Finding a place for those ideas is the most challenging task for public artists in this time. – Judy Baca