Friday, December 1
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Indianapolis Liberation Center
1800 N Meridian St, Ste 305
(See the program below)
After yet another cherished Indianapolis institution, in this case Newfields, fired a highly qualified, well-respected, and community supported Black woman on November 10 and replaced her with a white banker with no relevant experience, there is no doubt that our city’s structures and entire ecosystem are fundamentally racist.
That is one reason why we need to create our own institutions and ecosystems, including in the realms of culture and art. Enter the Indianapolis Liberation Center’s Arte Mexicano en Indiana art gallery and our First Friday series: “Unleashing the Creativity of the Masses” (not of rich white bankers).
Next month, our First Friday will be the opening of an exhibit titled, “The Struggle for Indigenous Liberation” by artist and activist Alejandra Carrillo. Carrillo’s work was recently featured at the Eiteljorg Museum’s Día de Muertos festival and the Mexican Consulate in Indianapolis.
A graduate of the Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University Indianapolis, Carrillo’s artwork centers on the plight of indigenous women striking back at a system designed to hold them at the bottom of society or even out of sight. Carrillo boldly brings to the fore the struggles of indigenous women not simply as colonized subjects, but as strong and instrumental leaders of our collective liberation against capitalism and white supremacy.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a panel with non-alcoholic drinks, wine, and beer available for donations. We will hear from Carrillo about both the works and the larger, real-life meanings behind them. We welcome all guests to participate in discussion, browse artworks and merchandise for sale, skim through our free library, or simply get to know someone new. The event is free to the public, but as we are an independent community space funded by donations and run exclusively by volunteers, contributions to help continue our struggle are always greatly appreciated. We know that you will be just as inspired by Carrillo’s work as we are, and we look forward to seeing you on December 1.
Program
Doors open: 6:00 pm
Artist lecture and panel: 7:00-8:00 pm
Informal discussions with Carrillo and other artists and cultural workers: 8:00 – 9:00 pm
About the Arte Mexicano en Indiana Gallery
The Arte Mexicano en Indiana gallery is the premier artistic space in Indianapolis with an explicit focus on social justice and liberation. At the Indianapolis Liberation Center, we encourage our community to “unleash the creativity of the masses;” the founding theme behind all of our First Friday exhibits.
We are inspired by and practicing a sentiment Stephen Jay Gould expressed when he wrote in The Panda’s Thumb that “I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.”
In an ever-evolving struggle towards liberation and community power, we must have art that reflects the wills and desires of the working poor and oppressed, rather than works that center on the whims of the privileged few. Creating inspiring and meaningful artwork is a powerful tool to nourish not just our own souls, but to empower our communities to imagine that a better world is possible.
About the Indianapolis Liberation Center
The Indianapolis Liberation Center provides a space for members of our community to do just that. We hope you’ll join us on that mission!
We are a physical and virtual community hub dedicated to advancing the causes of all oppressed and exploited people in Indianapolis. By engaging in regular and various kinds of educational, cultural, social, political, and other work, our mission is to foster a sense of collectivity and revive our community’s long-standing belief in the possibility and necessity of creating a newer, better world.
Each of the hundreds of cultural and educational events, meetings, and workshops we’ve hosted since our founding in January 2021 supported collaboration between community members, organizers, and those who want to learn how to become organizers.
The Center is maintained solely by the work of volunteers and the donations of individuals in our community, our member organizations, and affiliated groups. While posing significant obstacles, it is the only way to ensure our complete political independence.
Learn more about the history of the Center here and please make an urgently-needed contribution here!
