Social And Public Art Resource Center

THE SOCIAL AND PUBLIC ART RESOURCE CENTER'S ("SPARC") MISSION IS TO PRODUCE, PRESERVE, AND PROMOTE ACTIVITST AND SOCIALLY RELEVANT ARTWORK; TO DEVISE AND INNOVATE EXCELLENT ART PIECES THROUGH PARTICIPATORY PROCESSES; AND ULTIMATELY, TO FOSTER ARTISTIC COLLABORATIONS THAT EMPOWER COMMUNITIES WHO FACE MARGINALIZATION AND DISCRIMINATION.

MURAL PRODUCTION:SPARC WORKS WITH COMMUNITIES TO CONFRONT THE MOST CRITICAL SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES OF OUR TIME, INCLUDING IMMIGRATION, LABOR, EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT. SPARC ENGAGES COMMUNITIES IN ENVISIONING AND ADVOCATING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE. OUR PUBLIC ART PROJECTS SERVE ARTISTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS IN PRIMARILY LOW-INCOME AND WORKING CLASS MINORITY COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE U.S. IN 2020, SPARCS PUBLIC ART PROJECTS INCLUDED THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE GREAT WALL OF LOS ANGELES, PROPOSING THE EXTENSION OF A NEW HALF-MILE OF MURAL ON THE HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA SPANNING THE 1960S TO 2020, THE COMPLETION OF THE HEALERS OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY MURAL AT THE KING CULTURAL CENTER IN ARMONA, CA AND THE COMPLETION OF THE PIO PICO NAMESAKE MURAL FOR PICO MIDDLE SCHOOL IN MID-CITY LOS ANGELES.OUR TEAM OF INSTALLERS ALSO HELPED LOCAL ARTISTS FABRICATE AND INSTALL OVER 20 DIGITAL MURALS FOR THE VENICE BRIDGE HOUSING PROJECT IN VENICE CALIFORNIA, AND WE BEGUN THE CREATION OF A MURAL THAT CELEBRATES THE CENTENNIAL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES.

ART& ADVOCACY WORKSHOPS, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS:SPARC COLLABORATES WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO DEVELOP LARGE-SCALE ARTWORKS THAT SUPPORT ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE WORK. WITH GUIDANCE FROM SPARC ARTISTS, PARTICIPANTS REFLECT ON THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES AND DEVELOP RICH VISUAL METAPHORS THAT CONNECT THEIR STORIES TO LARGER SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CONCERNS. IN 2020, SPARC PARTNERED WITH ALCHEMY MEDIA TO CREATE A NATIONWIDE VOTER TURNOUT CAMPAIGN IN 93 UNDERREPRESENTED VOTER NEIGHBORHOODS IN SIX CITIES ACROSS THE NATION.

GALLERY EXHIBITIONS:THE DURN GALLERY AT SPARC IS A NON-COMMERCIAL GALLERY AT OUR HEADQUARTERS IN VENICE, CA THAT PROMOTES SOCIALLY ENGAGED WORK BY ARTISTS FROM GROUPS THAT ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE FIELD; THIS INCLUDES PEOPLE OF COLOR, WOMEN, AND LGBTQ+ ARTISTS. SPARC OFFERS FREE ADMISSION TO THE GALLERY AND FREE OR LOW-COST PROGRAMS IN THE ARTS. IN 2020, SPARC INNOVATED A NEW VIRTUAL EXHIBITION PLATFORM, WHICH ALLOWED IT TO COLLABORATE WITH HUNDREDS OF ARTISTS AND CURATORS REMOTELY DURING THE PANDEMIC. OUR 2020 EXHIBITIONS INCLUDED: -THE PATCHWORK HEALING CIRCLE -THE PATCHWORK HEALING BLANKET: VIRTUAL EXHIBITION OPENING -SIGNS FROM THE HEART: VIRTUAL EXHIBITION OPENING