In this episode we feature Julio Morales, artist, curator, and the Executive Director of MOCA Tucson. Julio takes us on an exploration of his personal life, recounting his upbringing in Tijuana, where he was deeply immersed in the border culture and surrounded by a family of creatives.

Julio Morales' artistry is not only a reflection of his talent but also an embodiment of his multicultural upbringing. In this episode, he shares fascinating anecdotes about his family life, where creativity flowed freely among his relatives, instilling in him a deep passion for self-expression and the power of visual storytelling.

Throughout our conversation, Julio reveals how the border culture left an indelible mark on his artistic voice. The interplay of languages, customs, and identities that define the border region found their way into his work, creating a compelling visual narrative that blurs boundaries and challenges conventional notions of identity and belonging.

We gain insight into his curatorial endeavors and the impact of his work at MOCA Tucson, where he continues to nurture emerging talent and push the boundaries of contemporary art. Stay tuned for an engaging conversation that will undoubtedly leave you with a fresh perspective on the transformative power of art and the importance of embracing diverse cultural influences.

Day Dreaming, 2019, permanent pigment print on Hahnemühle 350 gsm paper, 8 x 10 inches.

A series of images of the border wall between Tijuana and San Diego that references the "dreamers" struggle to remain in the US. The photographs also samples graphic colors of debris such as water bottles, clothes, ID cards and items left behind while people attempting to cross the wall, are transformed into abstracted landscapes.

Subterranean Homesick Cumbia, 2016, HD Video with Sound, 15:09 mins.

Shot in the Amazon and is the videographic keepsake of the artists’ journey to trace the mythological birth of Cumbia music, one of the first Latin American hybrid musical form. In the origin myth, a German merchant ship crashed upon the shores of Colombia, spilling its cargo of accordions. These instruments were retrieved by local communities of free people of color and incorporated into their musical tradition to form a new vernacular sound. The relationship of the accordion to the landscape tells the story of the unstriated flow of social exchange and the unpredictable ways in which we engage with our environment.

La Linea, 2022, 4 neons, 6x60 feet.

A neon series that is a neon line-drawing of the southwest border starting in 1622 (Before Europeans), 1845 (Before Mexican-American war), Present 2023, Future 2028 (After New Mexico and California leave the US and open their borders).

Undocumented Interventions, Watercolor and ink on paper, 2012, 30x40 inches.

A series highlights the harrowing conditions migrants endure for clandestine passage into the United States. Rendered in hand-drawn lines and watercolor, these works reference the “interventions” employed by migrants while highlighting their ingenuity, determination, and dedication—qualities the United States purports to seek.

Constelaciones Cayendo/Falling Constellations, 2023, photograph, nc-acrylic, graphite and plexiglass, 20x30 inches.A series based on failed drug traffickers who are "regular people" such as teenagers, abuelas, and teachers that are forced to traffic drugs in exchange kidnapping of family members.

About Julio Morales:

Julio César Morales is an artist, educator, and curator working for over twenty-five years in the contemporary art world. In curatorial practice, Morales has a range of experience: senior curator at Arizona State University Museum (2012-2022), adjunct curator for visual arts at Yerba Buena Center for The Arts in San Francisco (2008-2012), and founder and director of Queens Nails Annex, an artist-run project space in San Francisco (2003-2012). In 2013 he was a contributing curator for the Japanese pavilion at the Venice Biennale and currently executive director and co-chief curator at MOCA Tucson.

In Morales’ artistic practice he employs a range of media and visual strategies to explore issues of migration, underground economies, and labor, on personal and global scales. He works by whatever means necessary: In an indelible series of watercolor illustrations, Morales diagramed means of human trafficking in passenger vehicles, while in other projects he has employed the DJ turntable, neon signs, the historical reenactment of a famous meal, or the conventions of an artist-run gallery to explore social interaction and political perspectives.

Morales’ artwork has been shown at Lyon Biennale; (Lyon, France), Istanbul Biennale; (Turkey), Los Angeles County Art Museum (Los Angeles); Singapore Biennale; (Singapore), Frankfurter Kunstverein (Frankfurt, Germany); Prospect 3 (New Orleans, Louisiana) SFMOMA (San Francisco); Perez Art Museum (Miami, Florida) and The UCLA Hammer Museum (Los Angeles) amongst others. His work has been written about in Flash Art, The New York Times, Artforum, Frieze, Art Nexus, and Art in America. His work is in private and public collections including MoMA, The Los Angeles County Art Museum, The Kadist Foundation, The San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Art, and Deutsche Bank amongst others. He is represented by Gallery Wendi Norris.

Website

Join us as we dive into the world of art and community with the talented Anna Flores! In this episode, Anna takes us on a captivating journey through her life, art, and exciting projects, like Open Studio Tours.

Anna shares her story about growing up in Nogales, Arizona, a border town that has shaped her perspective as an artist. Her unique upbringing has influenced her creative process and fueled her passion for art, something she has in common with her colleagues and Artistories' hosts, Jenea and Ammi.

Flores reveals the inner workings of the renowned Open Studio Tours program by the Arts Foundation, where local Tucson artists open their studios to the public. She shares her experiences leading this year's iteration and what made it truly exceptional compared to previous years.

As she wraps up the episode, Anna opens up about what she has in store for future projects and the art community, what moves hear as a creative and eye opening advice for emerging artists.

About Anna:

I’m a border-dwelling poet and writer born in Nogales, Arizona. I hold an MFA in Creative Writing from Arizona State University where I currently teach English & Composition. My recent awards and honors include a 2021 Swarthout Award in Writing, a 2021 Center for Imagination in the Borderlands Creative Research Fellowship, and a 2020 Mabelle A. Lyon Poetry Award. You can read my most recent published work in Red Tree Review and Columbia Journal's upcoming issue.

In the latest episode of Artistories we dive deep into the artistic journey of filmmaker, sound producer, and borderlands advocate, Prudence Katze.

Prudence begins by describing her her path as a filmmaker, her inspiration and struggles behind her documentary The Iron Triangle, her adventures in the borderlands during Covid times, and her eye-opening experience filming Una Linea—a film that explores the desert communities of Sonora, MX, and Arizona, USA and how it is being affected by politics.

Katze's artistic journey takes an unexpected turn as she finds herself drawn to the borderlands after the upheaval of the Covid-19 pandemic and the decisions taken by the US administration at the time to impose physical and figurative borders. Through her lens, she uncovers the beauty and struggles of overlapping communities living in the borderlands, blurring the lines between physical landscapes and symbolic meanings.

She also discusses her upcoming film, Una Linea, an exploration of the borderlands seen through the eyes of wildlife experts, border advocates, local filmmakers and her new friends who helped bring this thought-provoking project to life.

 

About Prudence Katze:

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Prudence Katze is an artist and urbanist who is invested in telling stories that make visible the layered histories of political infrastructures and local community resistance. She is an adjunct professor at Cochise College who is also working towards an MFA at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.

Prudence is currently in post-production on UNA LÍNEA, a feature length, documentary film. The film will explore how the varied, desert communities and ecosystems of the borderlands intersect with the destructive intent of the southern border wall, with a focus on the states of Sonora, MX and Arizona, USA.

She is a co-director of The Iron Triangle: Willets Point and the Remaking of New York. Premiering at the 2017 DOC NYC film festival, it tells the story of how a how a Queens, NYC neighborhood falls victim to the vision of City officials.

She received a BFA from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and a Masters in Urban Planning from the City University of New York’s Hunter College.

https://prudencekatze.net/

In the latest episode of Artistoires, we hear from Iranian-born artist Nazafarin Lotfi.

We go back in time and learn of Nazafarin’s introduction to the arts through moments in her childhood in Iran experiencing architecture, anthropological sites, and the literary arts. She shares what inspired her to study the arts and how her introduction to the gallery/museum world began in college.

Nazafarin provides her perspective on moving to the Southwest in 2017 during a tumultuous time for immigrants at the start of the Trump era, and we learn how the Hamrah Arts Club, a creative mentorship program for refugee-status youth in Tucson, started when she began volunteering as a mentor.

Finally, Nazafarin reveals why she has not spent time in the studio in recent days, and the new opportunity that will surely provide the environment, and time to get back to her studio practice.

We are thrilled to announce the next episode of Artistories featuring the talented Alejandra Trujillo, an artist, muralist, and teaching artist based in Tucson, Arizona. In this upcoming episode, Alejandra shares her journey as an artist, revealing how the Sonoran Desert fills her with inspiration and the artistic influences she drew from her family that shaped her passion for the arts.

Alejandra discusses her excitement in participating in Open Studio Tours for the first time, an event that brings together artists and art lovers alike to explore the creative spaces of Tucson. She also talks about the many projects she has in the works all over the city, highlighting her unique style and creative approach to her craft.

As the episode comes to a close, Alejandra expresses her gratitude for the love and support she has received from her family and community. She recognizes that it is this support that has enabled her to thrive as an artist and pursue her dreams with passion and dedication.

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Coley Curry, a Filipinx dancer and creative currently based in Tucson, Arizona.

Coley shares with us her journey from Chicago to Tucson, and how a transformative residency in the Philippines, her mother's birthplace, reinvigorated her art practice. Her art takes many forms, including storytelling, facilitation, collage, craft, and film. In her movement, she aims to create spaces for community, ritual, healing, and taking ownership of personal history and cultural narratives.

Coley's shares sties of her artist trajectory including a recent performance as a dancer during the Super Bowl halftime show with Rihanna. Her commitment to her community is equally inspiring, and she uses her art to advocate for social justice issues.

In this episode, we feature Barbea Williams, a renowned Dance maker, Entrepreneur and Cultural Practitioner. She is the founder and artistic director of the Barbea Williams Performing Company, a dance troupe that celebrates African and African American culture through their performances.

In our conversation, Barbea shares her inspiring journey of discovering her passion for the arts. She talks about growing up in a family of artists and the moment she felt her ancestors calling her to pursue a career as a creative.

Barbea also talks about the exciting projects she is currently working on offers valuable advice for creatives in Tucson and beyond, emphasizes the importance of staying true to one's vision. Her powerful story and valuable insights will leave you feeling inspired and motivated to pursue your own creative passions.

Listen to the mini podcast by clicking the link below!

In this episode, we feature Barbea Williams, a renowned Dance maker, Entrepreneur and Cultural Practitioner. She is the founder and artistic director of the Barbea Williams Performing Company, a dance troupe dedicated to sharing ethnic dance, theatre and visual cultural traditions that derive from Afrika and the Afrikan Diaspora.

In our conversation, Barbea shares her inspiring journey of discovering her passion for the performing arts. She talks about growing up in a family of artists and the moment she felt her ancestors calling her to pursue a career as a creative.

Barbea also talks about the exciting projects she is currently working on and offers valuable advice for creatives in Tucson and beyond, emphasizing the importance of consistency and knowing who you are. Her powerful story and valuable insights will leave you feeling inspired and motivated to pursue your own creative passions.

About Barbea Williams:

Barbea is a proponent of and teaches the technique, philosophies, and theories of Madame Katherine Dunham. Crediting Black Dance USA, Dance Afrika, Kankouran, Mor Thiam Dance and Drum Conferences, KD Seminars as a foundation for Artist Influences to share and expand a vision of society from an anthropological and cultural perspective.

Website: bwpcarizona.com 

Instagram: @bwpcbarbea

In this episode, we sit down with Benjamin Lucero, AKA Halsero - a multi-talented music producer, community organizer, and DJ. He takes us on a journey through his experiences growing up in Mesa, AZ, and finding his creative community in Tucson, AZ. As a dedicated member of his community, Halsero shares his inspiration as a creative who values and serves those around him.

For artists looking to make it in the local music scene in Tucson, Benjamin offers advice and insights based on his own experiences as a community organizer and leader.

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Benjamin Lucero, as we dive deep into his world of music production, community building, and artistic expression.

Episode host: Ammi Robles

Check out Halsero on #SoundCloud https://on.soundcloud.com/86dt2

In this episode, we feature Pricilla "Nefftys" Rodriguez, Hip Hop Artist/Rapper, Writer, Community Organizer, and Arts Visionary.

The episode starts with Nefftys explaining the inspiration behind her stage name, which is derived from the goddess Nephthys, a symbol of creativity, darkness and transformation in Egyptian mythology. She talks about growing up in Ambos Nogales, a city split between the US and Mexico, and how the early 2000s saw the rise of the Internet and the influence of hip-hop music in popular culture.

Over time, Neffty's career as a rapper transformed into something more. She began to use her platform to speak out on social justice issues, particularly those affecting her community. This led to her founding Nogaleria, a community art space that provides a platform for artists and creatives to showcase their work. Nogaleria is a hub for community organizing and activism, where artists and activists come together to collaborate on projects that promote social justice and community empowerment.

Nefftys shares her journey as an artist and community organizer, the challenges she has faced along the way, and her vision for the future. So, if you're a fan of hip-hop, social justice, or just great stories, be sure to tune in to this episode of Artistories.

Episode hosts: Ammi Robles and Tanya Nuñez.