Artist Spotlight
Together/Juntos

By Tyler Noland, SOU ’21

Justin Favela creates not only art, but also an environment with his pieces. Going into its final week of production, the exhibition Together/Juntos in the Schneider’s Main Gallery has enveloped the room. In contrast from the exhibition’s opening, the once sparsely covered walls are now coated in tissue paper from the floor up. 

At the base of Together/Juntos has been the Favela Tuesday Teams. Over the past two months the Southern Oregon community has really come together in the assembly of the mural. The beautiful thing about this installation is that everyone who came to the Tuesday Team has left their mark on the walls of the museum. The energy at these events has a certain sense of electricity, the excitement to participate in something both artistic and collaborative brought people back week after week. The Tuesday Team regulars returned with an eagerness to meet new people and watch as the mural came together. Music playing in the background, people chatting, and the rainbow colors of hundreds of pieces of tissue paper set the scene every Tuesday night. 

The final component of the exhibition will be the edition of student sculptures from Favela’s Site-Specific Art class. With their completion on Wednesday the 11th, these massive food sculptures will be on display with the mural for the final week of the Fall Exhibitions. This collaborative aspect from both Favela’s students and the members of the community have created what is truly special about Together/Juntos. Justin started with a vision and then the passion and excitement of others brought it all together. This exhibition has given the gift of collaboration to everyone who worked on it in a rare opportunity for people to be involved in the production of fine art. It is Favela’s unique piñata style and commitment to working together that makes his artwork so truly special. Shining through the production of the mural is both love and heritage, he teaches people that art is for everyone and embracing who you are and where you come from is the key to community. 

Everyone is encouraged to come see the final week of the Fall Exhibitions to not only see the progression of Together/Juntos, but to see the wonderful and thoughtful art by all the artists exhibited. 

The Fall Exhibitions will be on display in the Schneider Museum of Art in Ashland, OR until December 14th, 2019.

 

Tyler Noland is a junior Creative Writing major at Southern Oregon University. She is originally from the Bay Area, and this is her second year at the Schneider Museum of Art. While not working on her writing she enjoys thrifting for her newest funky outfit.