Join us this afternoon for an artist talk with Jeanelle Bantique and Anthony Jiminez, whose solo art show “Crossing Paths” is currently on exhibit in our galeria.
Crossing Paths, is an interactive painting, with portraits of people in the community who have had a profound effect on me, showing the value they bring to public spaces by celebrating them. I am welcoming the public to interact and add to the mural (by painting, writing, drawing, collaging) with one question “Who here has had an impact on you?” Write, draw, paint about that individual, at any skill level. Reflect on how they changed you or your life. Talk to them or invite them in. Allow this mural to unify us as we pause to appreciate our community and family. The goal of this project is to teach critically, honor and love others, form bonds, and allow the public to communicate ideas and feelings through artmaking to bring us closer, in a time where many feel divided and alone. Amongst these portraits are immigrant/migrant leaders, POC leaders, female leaders, LGBTQ leaders, cultural bearers, practitioners, disrupters; the diverse faces who are the makeup of our lives, who are challenging norms by leading us to a brighter future.
The space between these portraits is available for the public to interact with, by adding stories about those who have impacted them, through drawing, painting, writing and collaging onto the wall. The final product will include your mark on the painting, the way we all leave a mark on the community.
Anthony Jimenez Artist Statement
I am a first generation Latinx muralist and educator, with a B.A. in Visual and Public Art, residing in San Francisco CA. My other mediums include acrylic on canvas, illustration, and digital painting/illustration. I use my art to engage and educate the public by creating dialogue about social issues, and vulnerability — exploring themes of politics, self-reflection, & imagination. I steer my artwork towards reciprocity with the community, using it as a vessel for change. With portraiture, I honor those who have come before us, celebrating our diversity, heritage and roots so that we may be empowered and seen. I have participated in a Last Chance Mercantile Residency and Sunbeam arts residency, and was awarded the 2023 Individual Artist Grant from SFAC