Pico Block Party: Empowering Youth Voices! at 18th Street Arts Center

Food trucks, music, open studios, performances, and more.
18th Street Arts Center holds its third major Pico Block Party community festival focused around youth artists and empowering youth voices on Saturday, May 19, 2018 from 3-6 PM. The family-friendly artistic festival will feature youth-led art-making workshops, performances, open studios with resident artists, exhibitions, food trucks, and other creative activities.

The Pico Block Party series grew out of 18th Street Arts Center’s in-depth community outreach programs, including its bilingual neighborhood oral history project, CultureMapping90404.org. That project spurred the creation of a Neighborhood Advisory Council in 2018, who helped shaped the content for this Pico Block Party along the theme of “Empowering Youth Voices.” With this festival, we celebrate the many Santa Monica high school and college-age youth deeply invested in political activism and organizing, and young artists throughout our community and beyond....

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Food trucks, music, open studios, performances, and more.
18th Street Arts Center holds its third major Pico Block Party community festival focused around youth artists and empowering youth voices on Saturday, May 19, 2018 from 3-6 PM. The family-friendly artistic festival will feature youth-led art-making workshops, performances, open studios with resident artists, exhibitions, food trucks, and other creative activities.

The Pico Block Party series grew out of 18th Street Arts Center’s in-depth community outreach programs, including its bilingual neighborhood oral history project, CultureMapping90404.org. That project spurred the creation of a Neighborhood Advisory Council in 2018, who helped shaped the content for this Pico Block Party along the theme of “Empowering Youth Voices.” With this festival, we celebrate the many Santa Monica high school and college-age youth deeply invested in political activism and organizing, and young artists throughout our community and beyond.

FEATURING:

Art Workshops

Create your own Pico Neighborhood Loterίa cards with the Santa Monica High School MEChA Student Group!
Work with exhibiting artist Mariángeles Soto-Díaz and area youth to screenprint slogans on fabric banners for your next protest march, and customize them with your own messages!
Paint your own tote bag and collaborate on a community map of your neighborhood with Visiting Artist in Residence Asia Sztencel.
Collage your own ‘zines with youth from Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica College, and UCLA.
Create LED greeting cards with Camera Obscura artist in residence Brittany Ransom.
Participate in free movement classes with teachers from Continuum Movement Studio!
Performances (on the main stage)

Dance it up with the Hype Squad with Ebonicia Fischer
Groove to the stylings of Rondalla Sueño Romantico, a youth band from St Anne’s Church
Let your voice rise with the SMC Jazz Vocal Ensemble
Holla for the original rhymes and beats of the Pico Youth and Family Center youth MCs
In the Gallery, Artist Lab Resident Paul Pescador will perform with his signature costumes as part of his exhibition Going West, or 15 Years in Los Angeles
Food & Vendors (more tbd)
Soulistic Vegan Soul Food
Brewtique
Chili Chili Mango
Taco Cartel
Hustle & Dough
Oaxacan Ice Cream
Fine Oaxacan Embroidery and Garments
Beautiful Things LA

Neighborhood Organizations
Pico Youth and Family Center
Santa Monica Library Teen Council
Continuum Studio
Cabeza de Vaca Cultural Dance School
Santa Monica Conservancy
Brighter Futures Charity
Hostelling International

Artist Open Studios
Yvette Gellis (Los Angeles)
Daniel Canogar (Spain)
Orly Ruaimi (Israel/Los Angeles)
Clayton Campbell (Los Angeles)

…and more TBD!

Exhibitions On View

Mariángeles Soto-Díaz | Instituto Experimental Tropical des Amazonas
Atrium Gallery (blue building)

Paul Pescador | Going West, or 15 Years in Los Angeles
Main Gallery (lime building)

Sponsors

In-kind donations of deliciously healthy and nutritious snacks and drinks generously provided by Harmless Harvest, KIND, GoGo SqueeZ, and Bare Snacks.

FREE TO ALL – please RSVP!

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