THE URGENCY OF NOW: ¡NO PASARÁN!
As a response to the current political climate, with the United States at the center of conflict and upheaval around the world, from Venezuela, Cuba, Canada, the Russia/Ukraine war, to Trump’s unnecessary war with Iran, three independent art professionals have come together to produce a multi-disciplinary political exhibition that is also a “Get Out The Vote” activation, opening on Saturday, October 3 with a reception from 6-9 PM, at Gloria Delson Contemporary Art (GDCA), 727 South Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles. (Soft opening DT Art Night 10/1)
Curated and produced by Karen Fiorito, Dale Youngman, and Isa Gordon, the show takes its name from a Dr. Martin Luther King quote: "We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there 'is' such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency." ~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1967
We evoke the ¡no pasarán! battle cry — "they shall not pass" — to bridge the gap between historic anti-fascist movements and our contemporary struggle. We feature a gathering of diverse contemporary artists in all mediums who refuse to remain silent and are using their creative practice as a vital weapon of resistance and a tool for civic awakening. The works will include a broad range of fine art media, photography, VR, documentary film, video art, and interactive art performances. The exhibition includes local and international artists, including Lydia Lunch, Dread Scott, Kim Abeles, Sue Coe, Guillermo Bert, Andre Miripolsky, Rick Robinson, Man One, and Karen Fiorito.
Show Dates 10/1- 10/31. Special events and performances all take place at 7:00 PM and include:
Oct. 9th - “The Unravelling of the Constitution” by performance artist Amy Kaps.
Oct. 24th - Performance artist and co-curator Isa Gordon brings “The People Power Players”, a masked, anonymous troupe in "Grift and Fall of the Clown King": an interactive silent performance promoting voter awareness & action.
Oct. 30th - An artist panel moderated by artist and co-curator Karen Fiorito “The Artist’s Voice: Political Action and Creative Urgency” taking place during our closing reception from 6-9 that night.
Timed to illuminate and educate the public on government corruption, fascism, freedom of speech, and the preservation of truth just before the midterm elections, one of the exhibition sponsors The Poor People’s Campaign (founded by MLK) will be registering new voters at the exhibition on DT Art Night 10/1 and opening night 10/3. Other financial and in-kind sponsors include Defiance.Org, Freedom Trainers (freedomtrainers.net), Arterial.org, Wttle Animations (https://www.wttleanimations.com/) and The Center for Artistic Activism (https://c4aa.org/).
About the curators:
Karen Fiorito is an activist, artist, and curator whose artwork has been exhibited internationally and featured in major publications. She is most noted for her political billboards which have gained international media attention. She is the National Chair of the Los Angeles Printmaking Society (LAPS), a member of the California Society of Printmakers (CSP) and a Board member at The Artists Gallery (TAG) in Los Angeles.
Dale Youngman is now the new Curator and Gallery Director for Blue & The Muse Gallery in the Arts District, but maintains an advisory role in multiple projects, with twenty years of experience curating over 80 professional exhibitions at multiple galleries, independent projects, and charity events. She has twice been the recipient of “Certificates of Recognition“ from the City of LA for Arts Advocacy and Outstanding Achievements. (2008, 2015)
Isa Gordon is a new media & performance artist, curator, filmmaker, teacher, and lifelong activist. Isa’s most recent curatorial project was the WIGI-E3 Experimental Realities Interactive Art & Animation Festival. Sponsored by Women In Games International, these pop-up galleries included dozens of artists and were experienced by thousands. She's exhibited, performed, and lectured around the world, including at the Whitney Museum, and been featured in the New York Times, Wired, on NPR, and in Stephen Wilson's book Art & Science Now.
GDCA is open Wed. -Sun. 12– 6. https://www.gdcagallery.com For event info visit https://urgencyofnow.art/