The Intersection of Human Rights and Art
It seems that the study of human rights and the study of art are separate fields. At higher stages of education, these two research fields are studied at two different institutions, and as is customary, graduates are given two different degrees. Further investigation reveals that the two interdisciplinary fields can, however, overlap, fostering a conversation that promotes both fields, providing a venue for reflection and growth, supporting and allowing for differentiated modes of knowledge, and providing a means of enduring in a setting with a variety of cultural differences. The arts and critical liberal education give students a chance to engage with the outside world, reducing their reliance on outside authority. Art provides a person with a peculiar capacity to illustrate the injustices of a situation which a discipline like statistics cannot. The primary role of art is to remind humans the inequity that exists in the society (Gutiérrez 56).
Faviana and Her Work
Faviana was born in 1978 and has roots from Peru. Favianna Rodriguez Is an artist who engages in interdisciplinary artistry. Her work is concerned with migration patriarchy, economic inequality, and international politics. Favianna teaches worldwide on the power of art, collaborating cultural events to bring about social change, and she conducts seminars in art at various schools throughout the country. Her dominant vision is to create a permanent social change globally. By use of unwavering and unique art, she has already impacted millions of people. Besides artwork and cultural practice, Rodriguez collaborates with social movement organizations globally to craft art that is motivating, radical and transformational (Harris, n.p).
Favianna and the Importance of Unity
Favianna is a visual artist. She grew up in the 1980s and noticed that over time community of color have had had a reduction of art programs by half. Moreover, a community of color receives a meager 10% of art financing. She appreciated the fact that being a woman of color brought up in a migrant family; there was a need to work with other artists for she believes that working in unity accomplishes more than operating alone. Since artists of color are underrepresented, and funds are scarce, so working in harmony is the only way to succeed (Voz, 2). Favianna started by co-founding an arts group in Oakland. The alliance was given the name East Side Arts Alliance created in such a way that it provided an opportunity for artist of color to present their work and have lessons, performances including murals and graffiti. The structure in which they operate was purchased in 2007, after seven years of soliciting for funding (3).
Favianna's Impact in the Digital Space
Rodriguez was also contributor, in collaboration with other web developers in the starting a web organization by the name Tumis. She began web development around the country that was concerned with civil rights, human rights and programs against gentrification. In 2009, Favianna left her previous two projects and started a web project by the name presente.org, which currently is the most significant online communities. This enterprise is an online world in which persons communicate through e-mail and even mobile phones. This project was a success, and perhaps the one triumph was taking down Lou Dobbs scrabbled form air in 2009 (Harris, n.p).
Favianna's Mission for Social Change
Favianna's work centers on mobilization. For instance, the Migration is Beautiful initiative has been very instrumental in coming up with positive stories as regards to the migrant past. The project has its roots in the civil rights period where people were fighting for their rights and against racial discrimination. Besides these grievances, there is the war of the mind. There has been portraying black as ugly, and therefore through their initiative, they needed to overturn it to black is beautiful to initiate the memory of people to erase the nasty color and engrave a beautiful picture. Migrants have a strong will to survive and are forced to leave whatever they had and move to new regions. The willingness indicates that humans have resilience and high resistance. People can undertake long journeys to support themselves and their families. Favianna assisted in spreading the picture of the monarch butterfly because it travels long distances and often crossing borders. Rodriguez in collaboration with other artists crafted items that individual could replicate in their homes or cities to in the daily lives; people were creating their butterfly wings (Kosmatka-Kos 25).
The Impact of Favianna's Projects
The projects that Faviana engages in have helped to boost her career. For her art provides an entirely new way of thinking, and help artist radically re-strategize. Art allows for space for critical thinking. She once said, "I am in the business of education and liberation. My subjects are Black, Latino, Asian, and Native communities that have been ignored and smashed by this government." (Favianna n.p). Favianna donated her papers to anta Barbara Library in California. The Rodriguez's work which initially has 31 pieces of artwork is projected to grow in future to include more speeches, sketches, prints, videos, correspondence, and photographs. Her vision is that her work continues bringing about social change, impacting on general populations and improving the conditions surrounding them.
The Role of Art in Social Inclusion and Change
A critical question for a nation is how to have a cultural policy that handles social exclusion and controversies on the function of art in a community, its contribution towards diminishing the signs of exclusion. Many governments have in the recent past adopted the philosophy of social inclusion and social change within the cultural policy environment and the art world. Arts are getting appreciated to enhance social integration by complementing communities performance in several government indicators; health employment, education and rates of crime. Social change can be achieved by a revolution, changes in social policy and community-based efforts. Artists advance social activism when they cast votes, reject social injustices, involves themselves with the marginalized groups and collaborating with socially conscious organizations (Belfiore, 97).
The Power of Art in Social Change
Art can act as a vehicle to carry the intrinsic nature of the artists through a visual object that mirrors the authors feeling and communicates to the audience. Art can also serve as a mediator acting to engage the artist and the audience even when the two are not close to each other (Potash, 74). Since the work of Favianna is now archived, it can reach people, many who have never met the artist, others who will be born after her death, but the vision and mission will be carried forward. In the field of social change, a visual experience may form a non-violent encounter that can enhance truth (75). Social change without conflict aims at providing a pathway between the more powerful individual and their subordinates. Artists seek to create an environment where the grievances of the less fortunate can be articulated. Visual imagery is applied in activism to represent individual desires from one group to another metaphorically. The comprehending that develops due to the audience encountering the art may be understood partially by the biological processes of the mirror neurons that make it possible for individuals to get and visualize the inner state of others, which in turn may stimulate moral action. When used together with other tenets of non-conflict resistance arts can bring about the motivation for social change (Potash 76). To this end Favianna has accomplished much.
The Importance of Collaboration with Artists
As Favianna reveals in an interview with Paul Kuttner, artists are not involved when the strategy is being developed. They are supposed to be part and parcel of the general work of a movement. The practice of engaging artists only at the end concerning campaign work makes their work less impactful. Artists require a close relationship with members of organization to create an understanding of what is the issue under controversy (Kuttner n.p).
Conclusion
Favianna Rodriguez Is an artist who engages in interdisciplinary artistry. Her work is concerned with migration patriarchy, economic inequality, international politics, and migration. Rodriguez teaches worldwide on the power of art, collaborating cultural events to bring about social change, and she conducts seminars in art at various schools throughout the country. Favianna's work centers around mobilization. For instance, the migration is. The beautiful initiative has been very instrumental in coming up with positive stories as regards to the migrant past. The project has its roots in the civil rights period where people were fighting for their rights and against racial discrimination. Migrants have a strong will to survive and are forced whatever they had and move to new regions. The willingness indicates that humans have resilience and high resistance. People can undertake long journeys to support themselves and their families. Rodriguez assisted in spreading the picture of the monarch butterfly because it travels long distances and often crossing borders. Nevertheless, Favianna's work encounters many challenges. One major problem is the funding of her projects. Artists need not work for free, so she attempts to satisfy their financial needs in their line of duty. Secondly, many program coordinators do not involve artist during the planning stage. They are only invited much later which makes their works less forceful.
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