BLOCKS OF CARE
Our
Story
Art and the act of creating has the potential to shift spaces around us in ways that foster roots to be grown in cities and enable a true generational home base. Blocks of Care is a collective of artists brought together by The Arts Connection of San Bernardino that aims to not only support and empower its artists, but create movement and change within the City of San Bernardino. Each artist is currently working on individual projects that stem from the recognition of patterns, needs, and desires for the city. Through this process, each artist is provided with resources and counseling in order to further develop their ideas that interact with the broader community of San Bernardino and provide space for voices to be heard and people to be seen. We urge you to take a look at each project to become familiar with the artists within our city and what they are advocating for. If any of the listed projects speak to you, please feel free to donate if you are able. Another option to contribute would be reaching out and checking in to see how you may be of help in amplifying their voices. Thank you in Advance.
What started off on instagram with a call for participation, led to a room full of local artists bouncing vibrant ideas off of one another. This became the first spark for each individual project.
After a couple of months of each artist working on their own project, we regrouped for the end of phase one and beginning of phase two. During this meeting, we took a look back to see what each person had accomplished during their first phase, identified whether projects from the first round would continue or evolve into something completely new, and we welcomed new artists to our group. This meeting allowed us to have a conversation surrounding what each artist learned, found challenging, and what we as arts connection could do to better help them in their process moving forward.
MEET THE FOLKS BEHIND BLOCKS OF CARE
JENNIFER KANE
Jennifer Kane is an artist, arts organizer, and teacher from Los Angeles, CA and currently resides in Joshua Tree. She serves as the Executive Director of Arts Connection, the Arts Council of San Bernardino County. Jennifer received her BA in Fine Arts from Mount St. Mary’s College and her MFA in Public Practice from Otis College of Art and Design. She is a recent graduate of Arts for LA’s ACTIVATE Cultural Policy Fellowship program. Arts Connection is dedicated to stimulating creative and economic vitality and enriching lives throughout the communities we serve by providing support, promotion, education, and advocacy for the arts.
KAREN SUAREZ
Karen Suarez is the Director of Uplift San Bernardino, a collective impact program of the Making Hope Happen Foundation, together with over 50 community partners, we are building a generation of successful adults committed to growing roots in the City of San Bernardino! We take an asset based approach and work together to support neighborhood development, economic opportunities, and serve our most precious asset, our human capital. Karen has more than decade of experience in nonprofit management, community and government relations, education and philanthropy. Karen uses her knowledge, skills and abilities in community development and love for learning, to empower the next generation to build wealth and make hope happen.
YULISSA MENDOZA
Arts Director, YULISSA MENDOZA is a fashion/portrait photographer as well as botanical artist based out of San Bernardino. The foundation of their work stems from the act of wanting to create safe spaces in order for people to be able to express and explore themselves. Their personal photography delves into the intersections of race, gender, culture, and sexuality.
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