Stumbling on the Instagram page @raw_mirez I learned about what goes on in The Valley from events happening at the border, art, and culture. I certainly learned new things and became more aware of what goes on within our community as well. Not just with @raw_mirez, but with @truchargv as well. This week's feature is Josue Ramirez, El Rawmirez.
He starts off by telling us what he's been enjoying recently "recently I’ve been enjoying Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK Season 2 and my birthday was pretty recent, so I got some nice presents including a great book called Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Maid Venon. I highly recommend it." I have some friends who enjoy that show, but I do hope Josue enjoyed his birthday and may there be many more! He continues by adding his some of his favorite local musicians, artists, and businesses " well I've kinda been obsessed with Twin Tribes since the pandemic started. Too many visual artists to count, everyone is so good in their own unique way! BUT I do greatly appreciate DIY artists and cultural archivists like yourself. Businesses- the Vegansitos from Sweet Craft Vegan in Brownsville …. Chefs kiss." Well next time I'm in Brownsville I know what check out!
With so much work on his page and things to learn from reading his posts. The diversity of work on his page lead to ask what kind of work does he do and what would HE label it if he could to which he replied with "I am a multidisciplinary artist so it encompasses a lot (or all) of myself. From making art, to facilitating it’s creation and enjoyment. I would like to consider myself a cultural organizer too which includes the writing, coverage, the arts programming and advocacy I develop through Trucha and in collaboration with others." Reading this and going back to his work you can see it along with what's over at Trucha. He is correct about the "enjoyment" whether it may be personal enjoyment he gets from his work, but as the viewer I also get enjoyment from his creations and works.
While being a "multidisciplinary artist" and " a cultural organizer" how would he like to grow with his work as he explains "I would like to show work once the pandemic is over sure, but I want the cultural organizing work to grow more. Like I really want to put some effort in collaborating with other artists interested in organizing around creative and cultural needs in the RGV. To build resources and make a more equitable arts environment via opportunities and systemic change in how the arts are supported and valued. I’d really like for that work to grow and we have an opportunity because I feel like so many folks and creatives are ready to make something new happen after the Pandemic is under control." Yes currently there are pop up shops, but with the pandemic I feel that we are being held back by a lot of factors. We wish we could do more and support upcoming creatives and businesses through events and just doing anything that we can for the community. I plan on creating an in person event one day, but not now. For now we have to keep pushing and doing what we can. We can still support each other through any means possible. With social media we can still share and spread word of mouth about cool things for others to check out. I do understand the impact the opportunities we are missing out on by the pandemic, but once this is over as Josue says "I feel like so many folks and creatives are ready to make something new happen after the Pandemic is under control" and I couldn't agree more.
Some of the work done by Josue also seems to involve the community or organizations to which I asked if he has collaborated with others before or if he would like to collaborate with others? He says "Yes, I love collaborating with artists and have been lucky to work with some amazing folks. One cool collab was being the artist for Futuro Conjunto, which- I am just honored. It really is getting the recognition it deserves so I’m glad to have been a tiny part of it. Through the arts programming I’ve been lucky to provide funding and support for some pretty awesome work: Gestos Locales, Brownsville Fashion Week, Bash the Border Wall- so many and that will continue this year so stay tuned! I haven't as much but would like to paint some more murals with the community sometime. I want to meet dancers who can put on the pinata suits and do some performances too. And of course the arts organizing!" There's just so much and I'm sure there's much more to come in the future! I was able to feature Futuro Conjunto in my first virtual art exhibition. Who knows maybe one day I can collaborate with the Rawmirez.
With his last posts such as the "the Myth of Affordability" and "Trucha"and "Chinga Tu Muro with Horchatx" what kind of message does he wish this sends out to the community? How does he wish the community could react to this? He goes on by saying " It’s meant to support and draw attention to local issues impacting our community. Artivism and advocacy is something I am passionate about too. I love working with other artists who like to raise awareness through their art on a variety of issues. I just want people to know they can use their art for different purposes, one of which is supporting the people on the margins and centering experiences that are often not." One thing for sure it did draw my attention and made more aware of things I didn't know impacted my community and how it impacts it.
He goes on by explaining by explaining the posts mentioned "the myth of Affordability is an installation in downtown Brownsville that was made using bandit signs or the 'We buy Houses Ca$h' signs littered throughout busy intersections. It is meant to visualize the housing crisis in the RGV as far as affordability and evictions. I collaborated with come dream. Come build, a development corporation, to develop the project and pair it with virtual platicas with housing advocates and policy makers to review research and policy solutions to the local problem. The Horchatx character was a collaboration with the No Border Wall Coalition for the National Day of Action against the Border Wall. Horchatx is a character based on the Kool Aid character that my friend Bekah Hinojosa came up with. I made a suit and did a performance of them breaking through walls, we also did a banner drop by the border wall and a light projection at the ICE office in Brownsville." I recommend to check out these posts and videos related to "Horchatx" and the "The Myth of Affordability" along with the others.
From his posts, dances, the various arts done what would be his favorite thing so far? "the murals in Brownsville are some of my favorite work, they definitely carry a nostalgia of where I was a couple of years ago and because I think the community has embraced them as part of the landscape. They have been there forever which is not as usual for street art and I know they have been cleaned up when they were graffitied over." I will most definitely have to explore Brownsville and keep an eye out.
Rawmirez shares his thoughts on the local art and business scene in The Valley,
"I love it, this last year has been kinda a bummer- I personally haven’t done much in public but I love when the scene is active. It’s very DIY, well at least what I love and there is so much potential. On the same note it is in need of some real work as far as systemic improvements- I’m talking like regional investment in the arts. We are so rich culturally but that does not translate financially and in the economics of the region, I think that is because we don’t know or haven’t quantified the value of the arts both in a monetary and in sociocultural sense. We need to better understand the creative infrastructure of the region to better advocate for what artist need. I know creatives value the arts, most people do without considering it-but most folks, especially folks in power, won’t act to show their support unless they are being pushed to. And I know artist can push and we can demand to be heard."
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