Coming Soon...Groundswell and Goldman Global Arts Bring Artivism to the Bowery Wall
Raúl Ayala is a visual artist and educator focused on community mural production, drawing, public art and illustration encompassing themes related to justice, memory, immigration, and resilience. He has exhibited in different contexts and countries. He also works in collaboration with art collectives in New York City and Quito, Ecuador.
From Raúl Ayala:
“For me, building imagination and sharing knowledge alongside a younger generation of artists is a great manifestation of the fruits of this shift. With this mural, we are also bringing intergenerational participation into a future that honors our past while actively creating a different path of existence.”
The Groundswell Youth Artivist Team consists of Gabriela Balderas, Charlize Beltre, Brandon Bendter, Junior Steven Clavijo, Jennifer Contreras, Maria Belen Flores, Hafsa Habib, Cipta Hussain, Karina Linares and Gabriel Pala.
From Executive Director, Robyne Walker Murphy:
“This partnership with Goldman Global Arts is the perfect way to kick our Groundswell's 25th Anniversary! At Groundswell, we believe that reflecting on our complicated past and present conditions is necessary bring about the world we want to see. Raul Ayala’s work in collaboration with our incredible youth ‘artivists’ embodies this liberation philosophy by artistically telling the story of our ongoing fight for social justice and the importance of activism that is rooted in love and creativity. ”
From Jessica Goldman Srebnick, CEO of Goldman Global Arts:
“Art has the power to amplify messages of hope, action and the power to unite a community. We are honored to be a part of this collaboration with Groundswell, led by artist Raúl Ayala and assisted by 10 aspiring young artists that will take over Houston Bowery Wall with a powerful mural that reflects this watershed moment in our nation’s history.”
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to witness the process unfold!
Instagram: @gswellmural Facebook: @GroundswellMural
Photos by Martha Cooper @marthacoopergram