Paisas y Paisajes: Portraits and Landscapes by Xico González
Reception:
January 12th 5pm-9pm
Artist Talk @ 8pm
The Portraits:
The portraits feature Xico’s former Chicano/Native students at the Met Sacramento High School. Most of whom are the first members of their family to obtain a high school diploma and/or attend a two or four year university. The rest of the portraits feature community members, and cultural workers at rallies and actions to bring social justice to underrepresented communities.
The Landscapes:
Most of the landscapes were taken in Canada’s Yukon Territory, where Xico spent a month backpacking and white water canoeing with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Xico recognizes the lack of diversity in outdoor exploration, and wishes to inspire people of color to partake in outdoor leadership and recreational activities. Also included are landscapes taken at the Grand Canyon, and in Northern California at state, and regional parks where Xico often hikes with students and community members.
As a first generation United States citizen, college graduate, and now as a educator of color, I understand and know the hurdles that underrepresented students face while going through the educational system in this country. I was in their shoes once, and I often reinforced the negative stereotypes that this society placed upon me and other males of color through hyper masculinity, male posturing, and the common “I don’t give a fuck” attitude. The one thing that kept me in school was my love for learning and a few educators that mentored me and offered me guidance along the way.
Because of that understanding, and my commitment to equity and social justice, I teach students to love and respect themselves, and to work hard to obtain a high school diploma and to pursue higher education. The truth is, college is not for everyone. However, in my personal experience, a college degree opened up the world and provided me with a career that I love. That is the reason why I encourage my students to attend higher education.
These photographs feature students that I had the pleasure of teaching at the Met Sacramento High School. These underrepresented students graduated in June 2016, and all of them will be attending college this upcoming fall. Most struggled to be a-g qualified and a few struggled to graduate from high school. But with guidance, encouragement, and determination, they all achieved their goal. ¡Sí se pudo!
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Paisas y paisajes es una exhibición creada por el activista, artista, educador y poeta de Sacramento, Xico González. La exhibición contiene retratos y paisajes capturados en fotografía tradicional y digital.
Los retratos:
Los retratos muestran a los ex alumnos chicanos e indígenas de Xico González en la Preparatoria Met Sacramento. La mayoría de estos jóvenes son los primeros miembros de sus familias en graduarse de la preparatoria y de asistir a un colegio comunitario o a una universidad. Los demás retratos en la exhibición muestran a miembros comunitarios y a trabajadores culturales en marchas, protestas y acciones que buscan traer justicia social a pueblos marginados.
Los paisajes:
La mayoría de las fotografías de paisajes fueron tomadas en el territorio canadiense del Yukon, donde Xico paso un mes excursionando en montañas remotas y remando en canoa con la National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Otras fotografías muestran paisajes del Gran Cañón, y de parques estales y regionales del norte de California donde Xico hace senderismo con estudiantes y miembros comunitarios. Xico reconoce la carencia de diversidad en la exploración de la naturaleza y con sus fotografías de paisajes desea inspirar a La Raza y a otras minorías a participar en actividades de recreación y de liderazgo en la naturaleza.
Reception:
January 12th 5pm-9pm
Artist Talk @ 8pm
The Portraits:
The portraits feature Xico’s former Chicano/Native students at the Met Sacramento High School. Most of whom are the first members of their family to obtain a high school diploma and/or attend a two or four year university. The rest of the portraits feature community members, and cultural workers at rallies and actions to bring social justice to underrepresented communities.
The Landscapes:
Most of the landscapes were taken in Canada’s Yukon Territory, where Xico spent a month backpacking and white water canoeing with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Xico recognizes the lack of diversity in outdoor exploration, and wishes to inspire people of color to partake in outdoor leadership and recreational activities. Also included are landscapes taken at the Grand Canyon, and in Northern California at state, and regional parks where Xico often hikes with students and community members.
As a first generation United States citizen, college graduate, and now as a educator of color, I understand and know the hurdles that underrepresented students face while going through the educational system in this country. I was in their shoes once, and I often reinforced the negative stereotypes that this society placed upon me and other males of color through hyper masculinity, male posturing, and the common “I don’t give a fuck” attitude. The one thing that kept me in school was my love for learning and a few educators that mentored me and offered me guidance along the way.
Because of that understanding, and my commitment to equity and social justice, I teach students to love and respect themselves, and to work hard to obtain a high school diploma and to pursue higher education. The truth is, college is not for everyone. However, in my personal experience, a college degree opened up the world and provided me with a career that I love. That is the reason why I encourage my students to attend higher education.
These photographs feature students that I had the pleasure of teaching at the Met Sacramento High School. These underrepresented students graduated in June 2016, and all of them will be attending college this upcoming fall. Most struggled to be a-g qualified and a few struggled to graduate from high school. But with guidance, encouragement, and determination, they all achieved their goal. ¡Sí se pudo!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paisas y paisajes es una exhibición creada por el activista, artista, educador y poeta de Sacramento, Xico González. La exhibición contiene retratos y paisajes capturados en fotografía tradicional y digital.
Los retratos:
Los retratos muestran a los ex alumnos chicanos e indígenas de Xico González en la Preparatoria Met Sacramento. La mayoría de estos jóvenes son los primeros miembros de sus familias en graduarse de la preparatoria y de asistir a un colegio comunitario o a una universidad. Los demás retratos en la exhibición muestran a miembros comunitarios y a trabajadores culturales en marchas, protestas y acciones que buscan traer justicia social a pueblos marginados.
Los paisajes:
La mayoría de las fotografías de paisajes fueron tomadas en el territorio canadiense del Yukon, donde Xico paso un mes excursionando en montañas remotas y remando en canoa con la National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Otras fotografías muestran paisajes del Gran Cañón, y de parques estales y regionales del norte de California donde Xico hace senderismo con estudiantes y miembros comunitarios. Xico reconoce la carencia de diversidad en la exploración de la naturaleza y con sus fotografías de paisajes desea inspirar a La Raza y a otras minorías a participar en actividades de recreación y de liderazgo en la naturaleza.
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Xico González
González is an artist, educator, poet, and a political and cultural activista based in Sacramento, California. He received a MA in Spanish from Sacramento State, and a MFA in Art Studio from the University of California, Davis. González has exhibited widely since the late 90s and is well known for his politically charged silkscreen posters and his revoltoso poetry. His work is archived at Sacramento State, San José State, and the Center for the Study of Political Graphics, amongst other public and private collections. While González has exhibited nationally, he has also taken part in exhibitions in Argentina and China. González’s written work has been published in several publications such as the new poetry anthology “The Border Crossed Us,” from Vagabond Press. González currently teaches Spanish and Art Studio at the Met Sacramento High School, where he continues to promote social and cultural awareness in and out of the classroom. |
Xico González es un artista, educador, poeta y activista político-cultural radicado en Sacramento, California. Xico estudió en la Universidad Estatal de California en Sacramento (CSUS) donde recibió licenciaturas en español y artes plásticas, así como también una maestría en español con enfoque en civilización y cultura de México y Latinoamérica. Después de CSUS, Xico obtuvo una maestría de artes plásticas en bellas artes de la Universidad de California en Davis. González ha exhibido artísticamente desde los finales de la década de los 90s y es reconocido por su producción de serigrafía política y por su poesía revoltosa. El trabajo de González está archivado en la Universidad Estatal de California en Sacramento, en la Universidad Estatal de California en San José y en el Centro de Estudio de la Gráfica Política en Los Ángeles, así como en otras colecciones públicas y privadas. A parte de exhibiciones locales, estatales y nacionales, González ha exhibido su arte en Argentina y en China. Los poemas de Xico han sido publicados en varias publicaciones literarias y más recientemente en la antología poética “The Border Crossed Us,” (La frontera nos cruzó) de Vagabond Press. González es maestro de español y bellas artes en la Preparatoria Met Sacramento donde promueve conciencia social y cultural dentro y fuera del aula escolar.