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CONTRIBUTION IN ORIGINAL LANGUAGE
How Art Changes the World Part. 3: J. Slim and Palabras Bookstore
Meet J.Slim. They're an artist out of Phoenix, Arizona. This mural is a collaboration with Palabras Bilingual Bookstore @palabras_bookstore near downtown Pho…
Meet J.Slim. You are an artist from Phoenix, Arizona.
This mural is a collaboration with Palabras Bilingual Bookstore @palabras_bookstore located near downtown Phoenix. It's Arizona's only bilingual bookstore and an amazing common room.
The painting is a depiction of Octavia E. Butler, a writer who used science fiction to describe social injustices as well as the beauty and flaws of human existence.
“From one, many. One of many. Unite forever, grow, dissolve. Forever Changing “is specifically a quote from Parable Of The Sower by Octavia Butler. It describes how change is an inevitable constant that doesn't wait for anyone. It is a truth that we can all vouch for as we experience the current time we are in. This mural expresses the beauty and possibility of our present and future. On a personal level, we are all inherently flawed because we grew up within the confines of a society that is still defined by its colonial past. But we can work with this God, whom Butler calls change, to heal, grow, and create. Art is resistance as an expression of this change.
@Palabras_bookstore promotes cultural representation and diversity through literature, language and art. It offers books in Spanish and English to the Phoenix community with an emphasis on diverse cultural author representation and social awareness. It is a safe and encouraging environment for intercultural exchange among communities and provides the community with the opportunity to share literary, visual and musical arts through workshops and events.
But during this pandemic, most of the events in Palabras were virtual. The bookstore is still open but has limited the number of customers per visit. In addition to several other locations, the bookstore was a point of contact for mutual help in the valley. Visit them in person or online! https://www.palabrasbookstore.com/
The How Art Changes the World series: Greenpeace reached out to artists in our community to create works of art that represent the power of solidarity, community resistance and community organization in times of crisis. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic - and even more so since the American Black Lives Movement became so embedded in awareness - resistance has taken on new forms and people have acted in solidarity in new ways and with new allies. However, the need to come together, raise the voices of those affected and organize against our exploitative and extractive systems is nothing new.
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