Thread: UPSET OVER "DIVISIVE" ART ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Escondido councilman upset over 'divisive' art exhibit on illegal immigration

By: PAUL EAKINS - Staff Writer

Wednesday, March 21, 2007 10:24 PM PDT

ESCONDIDO -- An art exhibition that addresses illegal immigration and takes a jab at Councilman Sam Abed is too "political" and "divisive" to be displayed in the partially city-funded California Center for the Arts, Escondido, Abed said Wednesday.

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However, instead of calling for the removal of the exhibit, the councilman wants everyone to go see it.

The exhibit, which is called "Mi Corazon Escondido," or "My Hidden Heart," was created by Cal State San Marcos professor David Avalos and other area teachers, students and artists. It is meant to reflect life in Escondido as experienced by Escondidans with Mexican roots, Avalos has said.


Some of the art pieces on display include images and messages dealing with illegal immigration.

One photo exhibit by Avalos and his student, Marco Garcia -- called "Abed Abed Dreaming" -- is critical of the City Council's efforts to improve the city's appearance through increased ticketing of vehicles illegally parked on lawns, a problem some council members, including Abed, blame in part on overpopulation associated with illegal immigrants.

"My concern about this exhibit is that it is a political propaganda," Abed said. "It's a pro-illegal political propaganda that promotes violence and divisiveness at a cultural facility that is supposed to embrace art, culture and diversity."

Arts center officials said Wednesday that the center's museum provides a "neutral" environment in which artists can display their work.

"We neither endorse nor not endorse anything that's in an exhibition," Executive Director Vicky Basehore said.

Visitors don't necessarily like every item in the museum, and nor will they all necessarily agree with the perspective presented by the pieces in "Mi Corazon Escondido," she said.

"They can accept them or reject them," Basehore said. "But that's not the museum's place to have a bias one way or the other."

"Mi Corazon Escondido" is part of an annual exhibition by Cal State San Marcos faculty and students that is displayed at the arts center. The artwork includes poems, sculptures, photography and other art forms that were selected by the artists, not the museum, Basehore said.

The exhibition is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays at the arts center museum, 340 N. Escondido Blvd. The show runs through July 4.

Although Abed said the exhibition is inappropriate for an arts center that receives public funding -- the city gives the center about $1.3 million per year -- and for a public university professor to create, he said he doesn't want it to be removed.

"I want this exhibit to stay," Abed said. "I want the general public and the citizens of this city to come and witness the agenda of the pro-illegal immigrants."

Basehore said the exhibit won't be removed.

The City Council, led by Abed and council members Marie Waldron and Ed Gallo, has been trying for months to find ways to keep illegal immigrants out of Escondido. Most notably, the council passed a controversial ordinance last year that punished landlords for renting to illegal immigrants, but the ordinance was abandoned in the face of costly legal challenges.

The council's actions resulted in several demonstrations outside City Hall by both immigrant rights activists and anti-illegal immigration groups.

This week, Abed sent an e-mail obtained by the North County Times to other public officials, including county supervisors and local congressmen, voicing his concerns about the arts center exhibition.

One of the pieces that Abed said bothers him, "Abed Abed Dreaming," shows a house with a ghostly, transparent car parked in the yard. The piece by Avalos and his students based on an Escondido resident's contention that he was ticketed for having a car parked in the yard when his car actually was at a mechanic's shop.

The photo includes lettering that says, "Abed adreamin' -- seeing things that are not there." Another photo of the same house without a car says, "Councilman Sam Abed's fervor dreams fever images of illegal alien autos."

Abed also said he was "embarrassed" by an exhibit of several T-shirts that have conflicting messages on the front and back.

One shows Uncle Sam pointing, with the words "Illegal aliens, we don't want you!" The other side of the shirt has an indigenous Mexican, possibly an Aztec, also pointing, with the words "Who's the illegal alien pilgrim?"

Avalos, the Cal State San Marcos professor, said Wednesday that many of the images on the T-shirts were created by other artists, but that he had the idea of putting two opposite ideas on one T-shirt.

The exhibit is called "In Lak Ech," a Mayan phrase that Avalos said translates to "you are my other self" and expresses a spiritual outlook that recognizes the deep connection between all human beings.

The artistic process isn't finished until the art is seen by the public and it evokes an emotional response, Avalos said. Abed has helped bring that about, he said.

"He is now a participant in the creative act," Avalos said. "In that sense, the Escondido City Councilman (Abed) is my other self."

Two visitors at the exhibit Wednesday, Roy Cano and his wife Pat Heusner, both of Vista, said they weren't offended by the artwork.

"I think it's somebody's view on what is happening in Escondido, whether you agree with it or not," Cano said.

Mary Catherine Ferguson, director of the museum, said she had received only positive comments from visitors to the art show.

"I think this exhibition reflects Escondido," she said.

-- Contact staff writer Paul Eakins at (760) 740-5420 or peakins@nctimes.com.

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was ticketed for having a car parked in the yard when his car actually was at a mechanic's shop.

I know how that happened. Mr. car owner had his buddy say he was working on the car that day. Dishonesty.

Avalos, the Cal State San Marcos professor, said Wednesday that many of the images on the T-shirts were created by other artists, but that he had the idea of putting two opposite ideas on one T-shirt.

He either commissioned the piece or had an understudy do it and he approved it. Artist don't give away their ideas.

Dixie

This design on a T-shirt is one of several that are on display as part of the "Mi Corazon Escondido" exhibit at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido museum until July.

Skip wrote on March 23, 2007 6:57 AM:"Thanks NCT for posting a picture of the new American Art. I guess it does not matter that I would find the desecration of the California flag to be offensive. After all I am just an American Citizen on Welfare. My one suggestion is that the depiction of the California Flag needs more border crossing runners to be accurate."

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