WE ARE YOU PROJECT
A PROPOSAL for WE ARE YOU PROJECT INTERNATIONAL Events
(Art Exhibitions, Poetry Performances, Lectures and Film Events)
TO: Directors of Institutions that provide Exhibition Venues for non-profit art projects
and/or non-profit art exhibitions.
FROM: The We Are Project International
[The We Are Project International is a contemporary Latino art exhibition, which presents through visual art, poetry, performance-art, film and lectures prime artistic examples of 21st Century Latino transcultural diversity and Latinization.]
This proposal seeks an appropriate, qualified, professional and insured exhibition venue (within a museum, gallery, cultural institution, university, college, art center, or other viable exhibition venue) for proper presentation of the We Are You Project International exhibition, presenting the show any time after November 1, 2012 (for display-periods running one (1) month to three (3) months or more per scheduled allotment), because each prospective-venue’s time-allotment(s) varies.
Objectives of the We Are You Project International: By means of four distinct ART EVENTS (“presentation packages”), the We Are You Project International spotlights the work of renowned Latino visual artists, poets, scholars, educators, performers, cultural leaders and other viable Latino personalities, specifically utilizing the arts to examine Latino identity, creativity, immigration and current survival issues confronting Ibero-Americans both nationally and internationally in the 21st Century. The We Are You Project International presents significant “world-class” artistic works about the following key 21st Century Hispanic issues (themes): IMMIGRATION, LATINIZATION, IDENTITY, ANTI-LATINO LAWS, ETHNO-RACISM AIMED AT LATINOS, THE US/MEXICO BORDER FENCE (“WALL”), HISPANIC CIVIL RIGHTS, VOTING RIGHTS & HUMAN RIGHTS, CHICANO LABOR EFFORTS, ETHNIC-PROFILING, CARIBBEAN RAFTERS and other key topics carefully identified throughout the We Are You Project’s Website (Google™: We Are You Project).
The Project provides four (4) unique as well as interconnected ART EVENTS that circumspectly examine the above-listed critical and prescient socio-cultural Latino-concerns, offering direct availability and access to the following four (4) professional, “cutting-edge,” and inspiring Hispanic presentation-packages:
1). The We Are You Project International Art Exhibition: ……
2). A We Are You Project Poetry Performance: …
3). The We Are You Project Film Festival:
4). We Are You Project Lectures, Workshops, and Conferences:
The We Are You Project International Art Exhibition contains 36 works of art, approximately “36” inches wide per piece. The works are by thirty-five acclaimed contemporary Latino masters, including: José Acosta, Nelson Alvárez, Willie Báez, Josephine Barreiro, Hugo X. Bastidas, Monica S. Camin, Priscila De Carvalho, Jacqui Casale, Gerardo Castro, Pablo Caviedes, Carlos Chávez, William Coronado, Olga Cruz, Maritza Dávila, Rosario D'Rivera, Ricardo Fonseca, Fernando Goldoni, Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo, Roberto Marquez, Raphael Montañez Ortíz, Hugo Morales, Lisette Morel, Patricio Moreno-Toro, Gabriel Navar, Julio Nazario, Jimmy Peña, Joe Peňa, Duda Penteado, Mel Ramos, Rolando Reyna, Jesus Rivera, José Rodeiro, Marta Sánchez, Sergio Villamizar and Raúl Villarreal. The above artistic-cohort represents the following Ibero-American national-heritages: Mexico, Puerto-Rico, Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Costa Rica, Spain, and Portugal. In the show, each above-named artists exhibits one-work of art.
Poetry Performances are available during WAYPI exhibits or separately. These unique performances feature nationally and internationally acclaimed poets, reciting poems written specifically on We Are You Project themes such as Latino struggles against alienation as well as for ethical inclusion in U.S. society. Many participating poets reside near the various Art Exhibition sites, while others travel great distances to take part in We Are You Poetry Performances.
A We Are You film screening as well as a panel discussion about the film, featuring the director (Duda Penteado) and other WAY artists involved are available during WAYPI exhibits or separately.
In addition, workshops, conferences, lectures, and speakers on contemporary Latino art and culture are available.
The Origin of the We Are You Project International: The Project was initiated in 2005, when nationally acclaimed Latino social-activist Mario Tapia (President and CEO of LCA) commissioned Duda Penteado, the Brazilian-born filmmaker, poet, and visual artist, to create an image to promote LCA’s Golden Age Awards’ gala in New York City. Straight away, Penteado coined the term “We Are You” as the title for this commissioned work, appearing first as a printed-poster, then a heroic painting, a passionate poem, a splendid theme song and, now, a major evolving documentary-film about the nature of Latino life and visual art in the 21st Century. Providentially, at this time,
Dr. Carlos Hernández, a prominent US-Latino cultural and educational leader, joined the emerging project, promptly embracing an active leadership role in its development. Hence, Tapia, Penteado, and Hernández became the “Founders” of the We Are You Project. Soon Penteado chaired an intrepid preliminary Art-Event Subcommittee comprised of four Latino art activists, Dr. José Rodeiro, Professor Raúl Villarreal and Mr. Robert Rosado, who mustered 36 prominent, historically relevant, coast-to-coast Latino visual artists who agreed to exhibit in the We Are You Project International as well as attracting significant poets, performance artists, and scholars, who are concerned with 21st Century Latino struggle(s) for equality, integration, and full acceptance in society (in the US and globally), pertaining to evenhanded, fair and ethical treatment of Latinos within US society. The We Are You Project also selected the skilled cinematic talents of Jinsing Productions to produce a documentary film entitled: “We Are You” that addresses the above themes, and can be screened during an exhibition venue or separately. Consequently, several diverse art-forms address the aims of WAY Project, including poetry, visual art, film, performance, prose, music, etc.; each is enthusiastically encouraged and allowed to participate as part of each We Are You Project International exhibition-venue.
Regarding the display of the WE ARE YOU PROJECT INTERNATIONAL art exhibit, the space-requirements are the following:
Jointly the show’s 35 works occupy 996 inches (close to 84 linear feet) of 2-D artwork. The distance between each piece has to be considered for
hanging the work. Most works are small, less than a yard wide. In order to assist, a floor-plan of the Wilmer Jennings Gallery in New York City
is available, where the show was well accommodated.
Please, be apprised that, as it travels to and from your venue, the show is properly insured by the WE ARE YOU Project; and note
that interested venues must provide a Facility Report “L” for WE ARE YOU Project needs. The show furnishes wall-to-wall insurance,
important information about current Latino socio-cultural conditions, and, at least four (“4”) above-listed available We Are You Project
artistic and educational event-choices.
An immediate way to view related We Are You Project International’s Latino art and to partake in the WE ARE YOU Project is through its Website that is available via Google™ and other search engines. As evidenced by the overwhelming success of initial venues, the We Are You Project International’s Art Events Committee is working diligently setting-up significant future We Are You Project International shows in major galleries, museums, art centers, and cultural institutions throughout the USA and abroad for display of the We Are You Project International traveling show, as well as experiencing (within the context of the exhibition or not) poetry, film, performance, prose, music, etc. We would deem it an honor and a privilege to present the exhibit in your venue. Please contact us to obtain exhibition confirmation by calling Raul Villarreal (Chair, WAYPI Exhibitions Subcommittee) at 973-845-9078, or email: jrodeiro@aol.com.