 "Dia de Los Muertos" -- A work depicting unarmed people that have been killed by police in Portland will be on display. By Sarah Farahat and Ashley Montague |
On Dec. 10, the Launch Pad Gallery will host the opening night of the provocative new exhibit "Criminales Todos" (We Are All Criminals). Sponsored by the Portland Central America Solidarity Committee, the exhibit is displaying artists from around Oregon on themes of police surveillance, border control and racial profiling in America.
Brenda Salas Neves said the group received over 50 submissions – ranging from photographs to videos to murals to paintings and sculptures. The opening night will feature dancers, musicians and spoken word artists. The free event on Dec. 10 lasts from 6 p.m. to midnight at Launch Pad Gallery, 534 SE Oak St.
Salas Neves says the artwork was submitted by a diverse blend of artists, with many different voices represented, including Chinese American, Pakistani American, African American, Hispanic American, European American and others.
The "Criminales Todos" theme was first used in an art exhibit protesting Arizona's 1070 immigration law – which gave police broad powers to stop anyone they suspected of not having proper immigration paperwork. There has also been another "Criminales Todos" exhibit in San Francisco.
Salas Neves said the Portland Central America Solidarity Committee hope to bring Portland's Criminales Todos exhibit on the road to other Oregon towns to begin a dialogue about the criminalization of many communities of color.
Visit their website at http://criminalestodos.tumblr.com/ or http://launchpadgallery.org/criminales-todos/.
