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HABLA Youth Mentoring Program Beginnings, February 2007 Onward, Page 1 of 1

Integrating the Chinatown Youth into the Art Scene of Chung King Road

  
 
In February 2007, as a result of what I believe to be a divine calling; I acquired my art studio on Chung King Road, which is the main strip of Chinatown, Los Angeles' art gallery district.
 
Three of the surrounding Chinatown streets (including the street on which my sudio lies) share the sir names of three of my grandparents; both of my dad's parents, and my mom's grandfather.
 
Figueroa, my grandparent from Cuba . . .
 
Bernard, my grandparent from Jamaica . . .
 
. . . and Chung, my great-grandfather from China who moved to Kingston Jamaica. With my multi-cultural ancestry as impetus, I immediately started a youth mentoring program which I call, HABLA.  The acronym, Harvesting Asian Black Latino Artists (HABLA) came to me in my dreams when I was thinking of . . .
 
. . . how to combat the gross underrepresentation of nonwhite artists and nonwhite art in galleries and museums.  One of the purposes of HABLA's youth mentoring program is to help integrate the Chinatown community into the mainstream art scene which has been gentrifying the neighborhood.
 
In befriending the Chinatown locals, I quickly learned the intricacies of the complex relationships between the art galleries and the Chinese residents who occupy the very intimate quarters. Some residents have expressed an appreciation for the art and commerce which the galleries bring into Chinatown's struggling market place, although their actual interaction with the art galleries may be limited or nonexistent.
 
Other residents have expressed feelings of disconnect between themselves and the art galleries who generally show respect for the neighborhood by keeping it clean and ending gallery functions by 9:00 pm. At times however, such as when trash has been left on the normally pristine streets, after art show opening receptions, or when they are customarily unacknowledged, residents have expressed feelings of alienation.
 
As well as attempting to create a bridge in the fragmented community between Chinatown's art scene and residents; I started HABLA for it to serve as a vessel through which artists of color can permeate into a White-dominated mainstream art world.
 
Here, local Chinese-American Actor, Harold Chin, shows neighborhood children pictures of himself on the set of the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, in which he played a Chinese pirate. An art-lover, Harold frequents the Chinatown art galleries.
 
My own six children serve as a natural magnet in attracting the Chinatown youth to my art studio.
 
Here, local Chinatown youth enjoy helping me fill in the first colors on my canvases. They often ask if they can help me paint.
 
Chinatown youth can be seen walking freely into my art studio where they know they are welcome.
  

Here, local youth watch videos with some of my children, giving me a chance to paint undisturbed.

 
Many local youth perform in the annual Chinatown New Years parade. Here, Chung King Road resident Jimmy and his grandparents bang the drum outside of my art studio.
 
Ushering in the new year, Jimmy's grandpa bangs the drum inside my art studio as well, while parade goers and art lovers pop into the galleries for a peek at Chinatown's art scene.
 
The youth have enjoyed impromptu field trips with me and my children to see Chinatown's Shao Lin Monks perform for free, across the street in the East plaza, on alternate Sundays.
 
The HABLA youth mentoring program has involved formal field trips. Here, my friend and HABLA advisor, Maria Elena, boards the bus with her family who has joined the group field trip.
 
Youth sit on board the the Dash bus for the HABLA field trip to the nearby Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Downtown, LA.
 
Here, the group enjoys a tour of MOCA's exhibition, lead by museum curator Eric Stone.
 
Since February 2007, local Chinatown teens have been active participants of HABLA's youth mentoring program. They volunteer in studio events and have regularly participated in monthly meetings where they've taken turns recording minutes.
  
In September of 2007, the HABLA teens partook in a painting party of the basement gallery of my art studio. Two years later, I dedicated the basement as the exhibition space for HABLA and called it the HABLA Underground.
 
Here, teen mentee Kathy puts in some "elbow grease" to paint the basement walls white.
 
Upstairs, the teens take a break for a healthy snack of oranges, muffins and juice, before ending the afternoon with a pizza party.
 
Chinatown teens outside of my art studio, during an opening reception, help sell Christmas items to raise funds for HABLA. As a thank you for their help, each teen takes home a stuffed animal.
HABLA embraces youth of all ethnicities, including Caucasian. Its purpose is to provide mentoring for all underserved youth who are interested in pursuing careers in the arts.
 
Photo Credit: Lili Bernard
  
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