Respect Existence or Expect Resistance

 Latinos Unidos Siempre (LUS) is partnering with the Salem Art Association to display an exhibition surrounding the empowerment of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC). LUS has invited community artists who identify as BIPoC to display their artwork about empowerment, which will be displayed in the upstairs gallery. These artists are creating artwork about empowerment through self-love, self-care, community organizing, and more. Youth organizers from LUS will also be making their own personal contributions to the exhibition, including through murals in the Annex. The month-long exhibition will consist of an open house with an artists’ panel, an open mic event with live art, and a social justice panel.

Art Gallery:  

Respect Existence or Expect Resistance is an art exhibition honoring Black, Indigenous, and artists of Color (BIPoC) in Oregon, organized by Latinos Unidos Siempre(LUS). The purpose of this exhibition is to give community members the opportunity to showcase what empowerment means to them through their artwork. The artwork exhibited will portray the meaning of self-love, self-care, healing, spirituality, community organizing, resistance, survival and more. Many of the participating artists are currently or formerly incarcerated. Our hope with this exhibition is to create a collective vision of empowerment of BIPoC communities.  Youth organizers from LUS have made their own personal contributions to the exhibition, including through murals in the Annex. 

About LUS: 

Latinos Unidos Siempre (LUS) is a youth-of-color led organization based in Salem, established in 1996. The purpose of LUS is to work towards the educational, cultural and political development of youth. LUS supports the empowerment of youth through leadership development and grassroots organizing, while fighting against institutional oppression. 

Latinos Unidos Siempre, is one of the only youth-led organizations in the United States, that has ended the physical presence of police in (Salem) public schools. This year, after 25 years of combating the school to prison and deportation pipeline, Latinos Unidos Siempre pushed the Salem Keizer School District to not renew School Resource Officer contracts, helping refocus on student wellbeing and efforts to reinvest in the education of students most impacted by the school to prison and deportation pipeline in Salem public schools. In 2019, LUS organized the first SAA Annex exhibition focused on the school to prison and deportation pipeline. 

The Annex: 

The Annex space showcases the collective art work through murals of youth leaders and community organizers from Latinos Unidos Siempre (LUS) in connection with the theme “Respect Existence or Expect Resistance.” Our vision is to make this space unapologetically radical and grassroots. The murals portray portraits of historical leaders, words, symbols that have helped shape social change and social justice in the world. 

JULY, 31 12PM – 5PM
COMMUNITY ART GATHERING
OPEN MIC, POETRY, MUSIC, & EXHIBITING ARTISTS MEET AND GREET
COVID VACCINES & HIV TESTING 

Organizations and artists onsite as well as Covid-19 vaccination and HIV testing available.

12 PM – 1 PM

• Socializing and galleries
• COVID-19 vaccination and HIV testing begin

1 PM – 2 PM

• Open mic – poetry, music
• Food

2 PM – 2:30 PM

• LUS presentation

2:30 PM – 5 PM

• Open mic and music with breaks in-between

Accessibility:

• Event held outdoor
• Elevator and wheelchair accessibility available for indoor galleries
• Restrooms available onsite

Stay tuned for more information or contact Latinos Unidos Siempre
info@lusyouth.org