Favianna Rodriguez
Encyclopedia
Favianna Rodriguez is a printmaker who got her start as a political poster designer in the 1990s’ struggles for racial justice in California.
Her vibrant illustrations have become synonymous with grassroots efforts to defend Ethnic Studies
, immigrant and women’s rights
, affirmative action
and youth activism
. More recently, Rodriguez became renowned for her bold posters against racism
and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Whether handmade or printed en masse, her prints reflect new subjects, new ways of seeing, and the impact people can have on their conditions.
Rodriguez is also co-founder of Tumis Inc., a bilingual design studio
providing graphics, web, and technology development
for social justice
. Rodriguez travels extensively to collaborate with organizations interested in using political graphics and the Internet to promote community building and social change
.
In 2003, she helped established the Taller Tupac Amaru print studio to promote the practice of screenprinting among California-based artists. Through these programs, Rodriguez has mentored dozens of emerging young artists, and helped establish a multi-use arts facility in the heart of working-class
East Oakland.
Rodriguez has lectured widely on the use of art in civic engagement
and the work of artists who, like herself, are bridging the community and museum, the local and international. Rodriguez's has worked closely with artists in Mexico, Europe, and Japan, and her works appear in collections at Bellas Artes (Mexico City), The Glasgow Print Studio (Glasgow, Scotland
), and Los Angeles County Museum of Art
(Los Angeles). Favianna is also a member of the Justseeds
Cooperative.
In 2008, Rodriguez was named one of Utne Reader
magazine’s “50 Visionaries Who Are Changing the World".
Internationally
In addition, her works have been displayed in England, Belgium, and Mexico. She was a 2005 artist-in-residence
at San Francisco's prestigious de Young Museum, a 2007-2008 artist-in-residence at Kala Art Institute (Berkeley, CA), and received a 2006 Sea Change Residency from the Gaea Foundation (Provincetown, MA). Rodriguez is recipient of a 2005 award from the Center for the Study of Political Graphics.
Her vibrant illustrations have become synonymous with grassroots efforts to defend Ethnic Studies
Ethnic studies
Ethnic studies is the interdisciplinary study of racialized peoples in the world in relation to ethnicity. It evolved in the second half of the 20th century partly in response to charges that traditional disciplines such as anthropology, history, English, ethnology, Asian studies, and orientalism...
, immigrant and women’s rights
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
, affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
and youth activism
Youth activism
Youth activism is when the youth voice is engaged in community organizing for social change. Around the world, young people are engaged in activism as planners, researchers, teachers, evaluators, social workers, decision-makers, advocates and leading actors in the environmental movement, social...
. More recently, Rodriguez became renowned for her bold posters against racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Whether handmade or printed en masse, her prints reflect new subjects, new ways of seeing, and the impact people can have on their conditions.
Rodriguez is also co-founder of Tumis Inc., a bilingual design studio
Design firm
A design firm is an organization that designs any of a variety of things, in one or more of the design fields, such as graphic design, web design, architecture, engineering, interior design, or industrial design....
providing graphics, web, and technology development
Web development
Web development is a broad term for the work involved in developing a web site for the Internet or an intranet . This can include web design, web content development, client liaison, client-side/server-side scripting, web server and network security configuration, and e-commerce development...
for social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
. Rodriguez travels extensively to collaborate with organizations interested in using political graphics and the Internet to promote community building and social change
Social change
Social change refers to an alteration in the social order of a society. It may refer to the notion of social progress or sociocultural evolution, the philosophical idea that society moves forward by dialectical or evolutionary means. It may refer to a paradigmatic change in the socio-economic...
.
In 2003, she helped established the Taller Tupac Amaru print studio to promote the practice of screenprinting among California-based artists. Through these programs, Rodriguez has mentored dozens of emerging young artists, and helped establish a multi-use arts facility in the heart of working-class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
East Oakland.
Rodriguez has lectured widely on the use of art in civic engagement
Civic engagement
Civic engagement or civic participation has been defined as "Individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern."-Forms:...
and the work of artists who, like herself, are bridging the community and museum, the local and international. Rodriguez's has worked closely with artists in Mexico, Europe, and Japan, and her works appear in collections at Bellas Artes (Mexico City), The Glasgow Print Studio (Glasgow, Scotland
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
), and Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles, adjacent to the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits....
(Los Angeles). Favianna is also a member of the Justseeds
Justseeds
Justseeds Artists' Cooperative is a decentralized artist cooperative that sells art online. Justseeds collaborates with and supports social movements....
Cooperative.
In 2008, Rodriguez was named one of Utne Reader
Utne Reader
Utne Reader is an American bimonthly magazine. The magazine collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment from generally alternative media sources, including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music and DVDs...
magazine’s “50 Visionaries Who Are Changing the World".
Exhibitions
In the US- Museo del Barrio (New York)
- de YoungM. H. de Young Memorial MuseumThe M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, commonly called simply the de Young Museum, is a fine arts museum located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. It is named for early San Francisco newspaperman M. H...
Museum (San Francisco) - Mexican Fine Arts Center (Chicago)
- Yerba BuenaYerba BuenaYerba buena is a rambling aromatic herb of western and northwestern North America, ranging from maritime Alaska southwards to Baja California Sur...
Center for the Arts (San Francisco) - Sol Gallery (Providence, RI)
- Huntington Museum and Galería Sin Fronteras (Austin, TX)
Internationally
- the House of Love & Dissent (Rome)
- Parco Museum (Tokyo)
In addition, her works have been displayed in England, Belgium, and Mexico. She was a 2005 artist-in-residence
Artist in residence
Artist-in-residence programs and other residency opportunities allow visiting artists to stay and work so that they may apply singular focus to their art practice....
at San Francisco's prestigious de Young Museum, a 2007-2008 artist-in-residence at Kala Art Institute (Berkeley, CA), and received a 2006 Sea Change Residency from the Gaea Foundation (Provincetown, MA). Rodriguez is recipient of a 2005 award from the Center for the Study of Political Graphics.