In this episode, GSAPP Historic Preservation PhD students Anna Gasha and Shuyi Yin interview Joel Garcia. Garcia (Huichol) is an artist, arts administrator, and cultural organizer who focuses on community-centered strategies. His approach is rooted in Indigenous-based forms of dialoguing and non-hierarchical decision-making that uplifts non-institutional expertise. He is the co-founder of Meztli Projects, an Indigenous based arts & culture collaborative centering indigeneity into the creative practice of Los Angeles by using arts-based strategies to advocate for and organize to highlight issues impacting native artists and youth.
Garcia discusses the various strategies and actions he has participated in around the removal of colonialist monuments in Southern California. He reflects on his experiences of creating a “how-to” zine for protestors to remove monuments, engaging with city and county officials in decision-making processes around monuments, and how local communities have reclaimed the public spaces where a monument to Junipero Serra had previously stood. Garcia comments on the need for institutions and professions, including preservation, to act for racial justice and move toward bringing back harmony to public spaces.
Source by Columbia GSAPP
