LOS ANGELES

Echoes of The Street

CSULA University Library Oct. 25, 2025 - May 1, 2026

The “La Piedra” Artist Collective presents an eclectic exhibition by seven of its members whose desire is to bring the echoes of the streets into the academy, with the aspiration that the inclusion of artists from the Latin American community, will become a tradition at California State University, Los Angeles.

Tito Calidonio, "Welcome to CECOT"

Joaquin Romero Collection

The Sanctuary Movement (1980s - 1990s)

Father Luis Olivares (1934 - 1993) was a Catholic priest who led the Sanctuary Movement of the 1980s - 1990s in Los Angeles. After he joined the farm workers' struggle in the 1970s, he dedicated the rest of his life to fight for social justice. When he became the pastor of Our Lady Queen of Angels Church in 1981, he created a safe haven for refugees. He organized the community and raised awareness among celebrities, saving hundreds of refugees from neglect. Father Olivares was a diabetic and contracted AIDS using an unsterilized needle during a visit to El Salvador.

ESA TERCA RESISTENCIA

That Stubborn Resistance is a celebration, rooted in the past, of the present contributions of Central Americans and Mexicans in the United States. The exhibition, featuring both existing and new artworks created by members of the Los Angeles artists group La Piedra, envisions resistance as the refusal to accept invisibility. The artwork explored themes of war, memory, and healing.

The 2025 group exhibition ran from 2/15 - 7/27 at the Museum of Social Justice. See digital exhibit here.

Freedmen's Town in Houston: A 1987 Photo Chronicle

In 1987, a meaningful collaboration was born at Los Angeles City College between a Salvadoran-born photographer and a Texas native. Together, they developed a plan to honor Juneteenth by photographing the residents and architecture of Houston’s Fourth Ward—a historic Freedmen’s Town and a key site of early Juneteenth celebrations.

Photo exhibit was at the Los Angeles Photography Center, Cultural Affairs Department. See digital exhibit here.