Atelier Visit is a personal project started in 2008 to investigate  the creative process as our contemporary art makers practice it. The goal is to document the creative process by interviewing, broadcasting and archiving video interviews of artists in their creative spaces. Video, written work, and photography will make the core of Atelier Visit’s content.

Current status: I have taken a break from this project and have been working on Modern Art Blitz with Mat Gleason, which has several of the same goals.

Resurrected Histories: Voices from the Chicano Arts Collectives of Highland Park (2012)

From the late 1960s to the early 1980s Highland Park in Northeast Los Angeles was home to the influential Chicana/o artists collectives Mechicano Art Center and “Centro de Arte Publico”, which included among their members some of the most important Chicana/o artists of their time: Carlos Almaraz, Frank Romero, Judithe Hernandez, Teddy Sandoval, Gilbert Magu Lujan, Leo Limon, Barbara Carrasco, and John Valadez. In stark contrast to the upscale galleries of West Los Angeles, where an individualistic conceptual art was taking root, Highland Park was becoming home to an art form that emphasized the themes of community, cultural pride, and economic struggle. Though influenced by the great Mexican muralists of the previous generation, these artists developed a unique commentary on the civil rights and community struggles of their day.
An oral history project founded by the California Council for the Humanities.

An oral history project made possible by a grant from the California Council for the Humanities.
Presented by Avenue 50 Studio in collaboration with KCET, Community Television of Southern California

Edited by Abel Alejandre & Kathy Gallegos
Camera: Bruce Dickson, Oliver Fitzgerald, Daniel Alinas
Music by Josh Garcia
We thank our partners for their generous support.
California Council for the Humanities, KCET, the James Irvine Foundation, and Atelier Visit have all made this project possible.

Film Location: Highland Park, California; East Los Angeles, California

Photos provided by: Richard Duardo, John Valadez, Barbara Carrasco, Patricia Parra, Elsa Florez Almaraz, Joe Rodriguez, Abel Alejandre

Archival Footage by: Mechicano Art Center (Courtesy of Joe Rodriguez); Abel Alejandre

Interviewees: Guillermo Bejarano, Barbara Carrasco, Richard Duardo, Sonya Fe, Judithe Hernandez, Leo Limon, Pauline Mesa, Patricia Parra, Joe Rodriguez, John Valadez, Victor Valle, Sybil Venegas

Joe Rodriguez interview in front of recently restored “History of Highland Park” mural at AT&T building. Originally painted by Judy Baca, Joe Bravo, Sonya Fe, and Arnold Rodriguez

Sonya Fe interview in front of old Mechicano location—graffiti mural has been witewhashed

Guillermo Bejarano interview in alleyway of old Centro de Arte Publico— graffiti mural has been whitewashed
Barbara Carrasco interview in front of mural on a florist’s shop at Figura and N. Avenue 57

Special thanks to: CALHUM and KCET Departures

Dedicated to the memory of Gilbert (Magu) Lujan & Carlos Almaraz

“Remember our talks—treasure them”-Magu

Visit us at Resurrected Histories.com and KCET.org/departures

An Avenue 50 Project
In collaboration with KCET, Community Television of Southern California

©2012 Avenue 50 Studio. All rights reserved

Partners: KCET, California Council for the Humanities, Atelier Visit, the James Irvine foundation