ATLANTA -- Making meaningful connections through works of art – this is the intention of the Latin American Association for Hispanic Heritage Month where Carlos and a group of Latino artists are partnering with students.
“We challenge them to depict the undocumented experience in Georgia through the eyes of a young person,” David Schaefer said.
The advocacy director at the Latin American Association, Schaefer showed 11Alive one of the winners “Mi casa no es su casa” – My home is not your home – by Arantza Pena.
PHOTOS: Latino artists tell their story - one brush stroke at a time
“You know fleeing violence and persecution in your home country and then coming to the United States and facing persecution again for being an outsider,” Schaefer said. “But it’s clear to me that the message you’re telling me when I need refuge is that I don’t belong in your house.”
These compelling stories are told in pencils, acrylics, and oil. For Carlos, the brush strokes serve as a unifier.
“Because ignorance brings fear, fear brings hate,” he said. “So, if we don’t teach, if we don’t bring that information to you, the concepts, the stereotypes are going to grow – especially the negatives.”
He said that creates even more division – and what he wants is unity.
Carlos showed 11Alive one of his own.
“’Erosion of a dream,’ my inspiration was the history of this country,” he said.
Silent, but speaking volumes, these paintings are giving the world around them a little more time to listen.
“I think art has a way of slowing us down and being more considerate because we think we’ve heard it all before, but we haven’t,” Schaefer said. “We just haven’t heard it this way.”
