GRAFITERAS August 18th, 2017 Oakland, CA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GRAFITERAS
July 18th, 2017 OAKLAND, CA — On Friday August 18th, 6-10pm famed graffiti and street artists Toofly (NYC), and Dime (OAKLAND) team up for GRAFITERAS, a collaborative exhibition, installation, pop-up, and art workshop all in one. GRAFITERAS will be held at EastSide Arts Alliance & Cultural Center, a grassroots organization of third world artists, cultural workers, and community organizers of color.
GRAFITERAS is a multi dimensional exhibition that seeks to connect and build bridges between Raza artists from the east coast and west coast. Both artists exemplify sisterhood, latinidad, graffiti and have served as vital agents of influence for legions of women driven to rise in today’s art world.
Both women were raised in the tumultuous 90s era. Toofly hails from Corona, Queens NY, Dime from Oakland, California. As young graffiti artists they made their mark in a male dominated graffiti scene. The challenges of being immigrant and brown women did not deter their journey of self-discovery. In fact, it influenced the trailblazing art they create today. They were determined with mucho corazon which comes from instinctual feelings of love and community. Through their art, they not only represent themselves but the dreams, ideals and instincts of women, particularly Raza women.
Over the years they have carved out an important artistic space at the intersection of street graffiti, murals, and exhibitions—on their own terms, staying true to their roots and love for community. Eventually, the forces of the universe brought them together as grafiteras.
To be “Latina” or to be “Raza” in America means you celebrate two or more cultures through language, art, cultural traditions, music, and food. As daughters of families who at one point migrated to the states in search of greater opportunity and economic security, both women understand the power of their art in telling the story of immigrant families. In the face of struggle in a country of institutionalized racism, racial profiling, and an anti-immigrant legal systems, Toofly and Dime respond with art that uplifts, engages and promotes the inclusion of their communities. They have faced racism, and discrimination and so have their family members and peers. It is part of their lives and what gives them a thick skin in the face of adversity. This is what makes women strong, what makes them warriors. They are part of a growing generation of people of color who stand up for what they believe in and will weaponize their art to share their truths. Resistance is part of their culture, it’s in their blood.
Today, “Latina Americanas” like Toofly and Dime, are also spreading their craft into the broader society as educators, designers, educators, and community organizers. It has become the path of self determination for women artists who hold the roles of mothers, daughters, sisters, and aspiring professional storytellers. As grafiteras they have a complex story that speaks volumes of the strength and love that is needed to inspire and move society. GRAFITERAS is a powerful initiation to the complexity of what it’s like to grow up in America, and how Raza and many other cultures find a way to stand up, rise, and shine through it all.
Join us! Let’s celebrate women artists today who are the rainbow warriors of the new world.
As part of a 10 day artist residency, Toofly who visits from Ecuador, will host a #TooflyWorkshop on August 19th, 2017 at EastSide Arts Alliance from 12pm-3pm. Limited space. Registration required. Sign-Up: tallertercermundo@gmail.com
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TOOFLY
Maria Castillo known as “TOOFLY” is an international Ecuadorian/NYC artist, curator, and social entrepreneur. Recognized in the early 90’s for her hard and fluid character style, she gained popularity as one of the few females excelling beyond her peers in the male-dominated graffiti scene. Founder of female arts collectives, like; YOUNITY, LADIES LOVE PROJECT, and PROJECT GIRLZ. TOOFLY is a full time artist and runs her own independent art & design company; STAY TRU, where she consults, designs, and develops a variety of arts & culture events, as well as workshops. Her work has exhibited at many venues such as the Bronx Museum of Art, CAC; Contemporary Museum of Ecuador, and can be found on public walls internationally. TOOFLY is featured across media outlets like Graffiti Women, Outdoor Gallery, Juxtapoz, and Latina Magazine.
DIME
Leslie Lopez, known as “DIME” is a Xicana Graffiti Writer, Educator, and first generation Mexican-American born and raised in East Oakland. DIME, A lifelong artist carrying on intergenerational traditions of cultural and spiritual resistance in her family began painting graffiti as a young teenager. Through her politicalization within the Xicana Movement and Oakland’s Eastside Arts Alliance she developed into a educator, organizer and public artist for community empowerment, healing, and self determination. Being one of the few women writers of her generation in Oakland, Dime developed a strong bond with the new rising generation of young women and used it as an opportunity to build a sisterhood and mentorship through a course she developed and taught to Middle School and High School young women called SHE’Rose. DIME is part of the EASTSide Arts Alliance Cultural Center. A member of BSK, Bomb Squad Kingz, one of the first graffiti crews in Oakland, Ca. put together by Style, Phresh, and West who were part of the first dozen of original graffers of Oakland to ever put paint on the walls of the city in the early 80’s. She is also part of Few and Far Women since it Originated in Oakland in 2011 it’s a collective of women artist, skaters, and photographers from around the world. DIME has worked collaboratively as part of Xochitlceive Collective and as an apprentice with Jesus Barraza from Dignidad Rebelde. Her collaborations are painted with youth and are seen in walls all around the city and beyond, including in marches and rallies reaching an intergenerational audience. Her work bridges graffiti and fine arts, as a muralist, printmaker, and mentor passing down teachings of her ancestors to all generations. Her passion and goal is to use art not only as a tool for social justice but as a tool for violence prevention, to reach young people, and entire communities and use art and Muralismo to cope, create change and empower.
EASTSIDE ARTS ALLIANCE ( Gallery )
The EastSide Arts Alliance & Cultural Center presents free youth art classes, cultural programming, public art projects, ongoing gallery exhibitions, community town halls, and the annual Malcolm X Jazz Arts Festival. We work with numerous organizations and community groups to present hundreds of events every year.
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