​Hugo Crosthwaite, renowned muralist from Tijuana, painted his mural In Memoriam: Los Angeles as performance at the Museum of Social Justice throughout the month of September 2017.  He will be back to whitewash his own work February 28–March 10.  His mural explored themes of the American Dream, nationalism, immigration, inequality, racism, women’s empowerment, and much more.  Now is your chance to respond with your own work that reflects the political and cultural moment in which we are living.  After Hugo finishes whitewashing In Memoriam: Los Angeles, he will begin a new mural at the museum with the theme California Dream.  But Hugo will only begin the mural.  The Museum of Social Justice invites local artists—individuals or groups—to submit original pieces focused on the same theme.  These submissions will be pieced together on the walls of the museum to form a larger collage reflecting the community’s response to the theme California Dream. 
 
Participants will receive a 3’ x 5’ piece of raw canvas on which they can create their art.  Artists are welcome to stretch and prime the canvas or not, and use any medium that helps them reflect the theme, but please be aware that the pieces will be displayed horizontally in landscape orientation.  It is the museum’s hope that we will receive pieces in a variety of mediums, styles, etc.  Please contact us with any questions.  Finished pieces are due to the museum by March 2.  Participants are invited to come to the museum on Sunday, March 11, to observe Hugo painting his section of the mural.  He will begin at 10:30 am.  Beginning at 3:00 pm on March 11, Hugo will lead a workshop with the artists.  This will be a time for Hugo to share his ideas and methods, as well as a time for the other artists to present their work.  Beginning at 4:30 pm, the museum will host a reception for the public. 
 
Along with your art piece, the museum will need the following information: 
 
1) Artist(s) name(s) and name of organization (if part of or representing one)
2) Title of the individual art piece
3) Medium
4) Year (only necessary if the piece was created before this year)
5) A small description of the piece, if desired (60 words or less)
 
California Dream: A Community Response will be on display at the Museum of Social Justice from March 15 through May 13.  All pieces will be returned to the artist after May 13. 
 
Again, please contact the museum with any questions.  The quickest response will come from an e-mail to [email protected].  We are excited to see how the community responds!  

Presented by the Museum of African American Art and co-curated by our very own Keith Rice, President & Curator of the Museum of Social Justice, this exhibition displays the photographs that were featured in our 2015-2016 exhibition, African-American Civil Rights Movement Los Angeles.  If you were unable to see these extraordinary photographs of the great men and women who fought for Freedom, Justice, and Equality in America, you now can at the Museum of African American Art from January 14 - March 25, 2018.  To learn more about the exhibition and the museum, please visit their website at www.maaala.org. 

One of the most influential historical figures of the United States, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the many leading activist who helped bring awareness to a nation for its inhuman treatment forced upon a minority population. One of his most famous political moves to achieve racial equality was in 1955 by leading the Montgomery bus boycott in response to the arrest of Rosa Parks. This boycott ended a practice that made it illegal for people of color to sit in the front of the bus and gave white passengers the right to take a seat occupied by a black passenger if the bus was full. The boycott was effective due to the corporation of its participants by either walking or carpooling. After this Dr. King was able to cement himself in American history by delivering his famous I have a Dream, speech in August 28, 2963. A speech so revered that every child is taught it in grade school. Many of his actions helped to improve the lives of people of African heritage and to improve race relations within the country. For his actions Dr. King was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize in October 14, 1964 and was posthumously awarded both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.