Subject: Celebrating diversity
and unity through art in Carson Calif.
PRESS
RELEASE
For Immediate Release
ARTIST ALEXEY STEELE BRINGS INSPIRING MESSAGE, CELEBRATES
LOCAL HERO OF THE UNDERSERVED URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGING PUBLIC
ART IN THE CITY OF CARSON, CALIFORNIA
Artist Alexey Steele’s New Life
Size Painting “El Rey Trabajador” Of
A 75 Year Old Gardener And Local Hero Will Be Unveiled And On
Display At Newly Founded Artward! Gallery In The Notorious “Scottsdale” Neighborhood
Of Carson
CARSON,
CALIF., June 27, 2017 – Noted Southern
California artist Alexey Steele will display two new works from his My
Neighbors Series, a passionate and
compelling portrayal of select residents from the city of Carson, at the newly
founded Artward! Gallery dedicated to his ongoing Love My Neighbor public art project and located at 23400 Avalon
Blvd, through January, 2018.
Steele’s
studio is located in the heart of Carson, consistently ranked among the nation’s cities
with the most ethno-racial and linguistic diversity, and he is a proponent of the transformative nature
of art. He also believes that the answer to many of the difficult issues
currently facing society is to get to know and love one’s neighbor, as inspired
by the cherished phrase “love thy neighbor.” With his My Neighbors:
Capturing the Soul of America’s Diverse City series, which currently totals
eight portraits of ordinary, everyday people, he spotlights community members
who represent the strength and soul of Carson in an effort to inspire social
change. The artist hopes that his My Neighbors Series will also encourage visitors to see their own neighbors from
a new perspective and take the message of love for one’s neighbor back to their
own streets.
“The City of Carson is proud of our
unique diversity. We are currently preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary
of our founding with substantial forward-looking urban development. Alexey
Steele’s Love My Neighbor public art
program highlights the city’s civic pride and showcases Carson’s diversity as
we pursue our City motto of ‘Future Unlimited,’” said Carson Mayor Albert
Robles.
Every street and every neighborhood
has its own widely loved neighbors. In the
My Neighbors Series want to capture that unique and iconic, deeply human quality
that makes those special people the true bedrock of the community, something
true and solid to hold on to in the much troubled and divided contemporary
world" explains Steele "I want to capture people you cannot help but
love and I want through the Love My
Neighbor public art project encourage other people to notice and embrace
human beacons like that in their own neighborhood. Those are the overlooked
heroes of our society,” he adds, “Often
the rock bottom of the society is the bedrock of the community.”
Steele
was awarded a grant by The City of Carson Cultural Arts Commission for 2015-16 which
was followed by the grant for 2016-17 to develop the My Neighbors Series. In this second collaboration
between the City and an artist, Steele focused his attention on the notorious
neighborhood of Carson, CA quite ironically called “Scottsdale”. Following his
concept that special neighbors exist in every condition Steele found a
remarkable and inspiring character in Cirilo Campos, a beloved 75 year old
gardener who has been working in Scottsdale for 31 years and would not quit, a true
local hero and the icon of serving community. Steele decided to paint an epic
life-size painting celebrating human dignity shining bright in the world of adversity. Steele
decided to use the very process of art making as a community engagement tool
and executed his large canvas
entirely on-site in the series of over 40 live sessions each open to the public.
To showcase works of his My Neighbors
Series to the local community and use the Love My Neighbor project as a tool of continuous community
building, Steele established a permanent on-site Artward! Gallery.
Sharing
in the neighborly spirit of diversity, Wells Fargo Bank joined this important
socially engaged artist–city–community collaboration with an additional grant.
With this
body of work, Steele is following in the footsteps of his late father, the
noted Ukrainian artist Leonid Steele. A hallmark of Leonid Steele's oeuvre was
to travel to remote villages of the Ukraine to capture the expression of
ordinary people in paint and to present the finished works to the very muses
themselves. The younger Steele's homage to his father's work intends to build
upon the legacy of shared strength, as a counterpoint to troublesome events.
Steele’s
art is traditionally shown in galleries and museums, but this time the artist
is presenting his new works in settings that he shares with his fellow
community members to ensure the widest engagement of local residents in this
city public art program. Alexey Steele is represented by American Legacy
Fine Arts, a private art gallery in Pasadena, Calif.
The City
of Carson is proud of its unique diversity. It is currently preparing to
celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding with substantial
improvements and forward looking urban development. Alexey Steele’s Love My
Neighbor public art program is part of the city’s civic pride about such
special level of diversity while Carson looks into a future with a motto Future
Unlimited.
Wells
Fargo has a long history of supporting diversity and inclusion, and the
company’s Vision and Values states “The spirit of diversity and inclusion lives
in our hearts and minds and most importantly in our behaviors – the way we
interact with each other and conduct our business.” Additionally, Wells Fargo
was ranked #12 on Diversity Inc.'s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list
for 2016.
*Digital images of artwork in the exhibition are
available upon request.*
Images of the project available with this link
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wf9fca5hz09lhhj/2Y9A0363-1.jpg?dl=0
About The
City of Carson, CA
About “Scottsdale”
Neighborhood of Carson, CA
Scottsdale
Townhomes in Carson, CA is a particularly volatile underserved neighborhood
in the City of Carson. Built in 1963 as a 600 unit gated community condominium
project it gain notoriety through 1970s and 80s as a home for Scottsdale Piru
gang, inter-gang violence, high crime rate and poverty, representing the plight
of the inner city within Los Angeles County. In recent years the situation is
incrementally but steadily improving. It has around 3,000 residents. 26.5% are
residents below the poverty level. Median household income $41,442
About Artward!
Gallery and Artward Intiative
Artward! Gallery is founded by the artist Alexey
Steele and operated by Artward Initiative 501c3 non-profit. The gallery is dedicated
to showcasing his Love My Neighbor public art project in the City of Carson and
organized in the open to the public Scottsdale Townhouses HOA building. Its
near-horizon objective is through repeated art live-sessions by Alexey Steele,
ongoing showcase of the works of My Neighbors Series and periodic special art
events to engage and bring meaningful community-building impact to a
“Scottsdale” neighborhood of Carson, serve as a model of how art can be used as
effective tool of social action in the similarly difficult urban scenarios
across the US. Artward Initiative is a 501c3 non-profit organization formed to
strengthen Southern California local communities through its charitable
cultural activities. Artward Initiative sponsored events and projects are
centered around community development and revitalization, enhance community's
quality of life through art, cultural and educational projects.
Media
Contacts:
Artist:
Olga
Vlasova
310-710-7845
