By Cali Banks
August 16, 2020
Lares Feliciano is a Puerto Rican, queer artist based in Denver, Colorado. She is a current artist-in-residence at RedLine Contemporary Art Center and serves as the organization’s Art Grants Manager.
Feliciano has training in film and television, with an MFA in Cinema Production. Still having a passion for narrative cinema, she is drawn to unconventional ways of viewing and experiencing moving image work. She is currently interested in animation, installation and immersive experiences.
How do you view inclusivity/approach and equity in your community-engaged work? How do you avoid the savior complex?
I have been thinking about that a lot lately. I often refer to the words of Nina Simone, “An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times.” With this in mind, I also think it is important to be thoughtful about how you make work, what kind of work you make, who your audience is, and especially, who you are speaking for. This is not necessarily taught in formal settings; the willingness to be uncomfortable, the willingness to step back when it is appropriate. Sometimes that is not the easiest.
This brings about the question of what to apply to as a light skinned woman of color. It is important for me to be reflective about how and where I take up space. Maybe I didn't need to be there. This is the core of how I approach inclusivity, intersectionality and where things are appropriate or where I am needed.
Currently I am working on an animation about Black Lives Matter and police brutality. I have included a crossfade of Black and Indigineous people who have been murdered by police. If I am going to do work like this, I have to be doing research, commiting to the process and experience. I have to be willing to be uncomfortable, and approach the topic as thoughtfully as I am able.
How do you get feedback from the community about how your initiative / program / etc/ creates social change?
I try as much as possible to have conversations with people as the work is being shown.
For example, for the annual RedLine Resident Artist show, I created a multimedia installation about what's happening in Puerto Rico, but it is abstract and experimental. Unless you know about Puerto Rican history and politics, you won’t pick up on the symbols. So, I made a seven page study guide that walks the viewer through the symbolism. It has an educational component, but does not claim a full understanding. But, creating tools to reach out and inform the community can promote engagement to make the work more accessible.
Describe an unexpected experience or incident you encountered in your community engagement work. How did you respond?
This happens all of the time with art. You think people are going to respond to your work much differently than they do. Or folks have a response to or interpretation of your work that you hadn’t intended. I believe that when you create art in a way it is a gift to the world. Once you give that gift it is up to the recipient to determine its meaning. I also see this as an opportunity to learn from your audience. There are also times where you don’t have as many people at the opening as you had thought or hoped. The lesson there is always to be thoughtful and think ahead about your audience and the community you are showing work in.
Can you speak more about funding opportunities?
There was more and more funding pre-COVID, in large part because so many art opportunities are event based. I am extremely privileged to be at RedLine because there is a broad, rich community with many connections. For large project funding I recommend looking at Arts in Society which offers cross-sector, community-based funding.The InSITE Fund is also managed through RedLine and is supported by The Andy Warhol Foundation. These grants are given directly to artists, and you don't need a fiscal sponsor which is a huge help. I also recommend keeping an eye on CAFE and Submittable, two sites that list artist opportunities.
One piece of advice for artists looking for funding - It is important to not bend your project to fit funding models that aren't appropriate. Be true to your work. While funding can be very difficult, you don’t want to end up with a $30K grant for a big project you aren’t passionate about. Search for opportunities that fit the medium, content and spirit of the work you are doing.