Week 9 Judy Baca

When researching more into Judy Baca, I learned about the SPARC program that facilitated the development of The Great Wall of Los Angeles. This mile long mural project highlights the voices and perspectives of Native, women, and minority communities. Taking many years to come to fruition, using the Los Angeles community of scholars, activists, artists, and students, Baca proves that art has the ability to strengthen social networks as an active site of resistance against large impersonal forces like patriarchy and racism. Traditionally silenced voices have a place in Baca’s vision. In this way, Baca demonstrates Art’s capacity to motivate, heal, and encourage spaces to reflect the perspectives and visions of the community in which the art is situated. Representation plays a critical role in the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC), founded in 1976 by painter Christina Schlesinger and filmmaker Donna Deith, and artist/activist Baca. A quote I found that I think best represents Baca’s artistic philosophy is: "The murals were integral to Venice. SPARC was right here doing the work and transforming our jail from a place of oppression to a kind spot of liberation, the spot of hope." Art as action. Art as power. Art as knowledge. With these truths to support a critical artistic practice in Los Angeles, Baca creates worlds that are honest, open, and transformative. Bringing Art into the world and into the public landscape transforms our spatial experience; The Great Wall of Los Angeles offers a site of resistance and resiliency from the future voices of Los Angeles.