Creative Action: Far South/Border North Initiative Reception

The Far South/Border North pilot program awarded grants to a total of 78 recipients— 60 individual artists and cultural practitioners and 18 organizations— to support the creation of media, outreach and engagement campaigns. The campaigns aimed to raise public awareness about a range of pressing issues, including public health, civic engagement, climate mitigation and social justice. Working in their local communities in San Diego and Imperial counties, these artists and practitioners identified key issue areas and led public messaging campaigns, showcasing their creativity and innovation to cultivate awareness and catalyze change. Since its launch, more than 70 Far South/Border North-funded campaigns have engaged 700 artists, created 940 jobs and reached people across 37 zip codes in the bi-county region’s most disproportionately impacted communities. City Gallery will present Creative Action: Far South/Border North Initiative, an exhibition celebrating artists and cultural practitioners working in San Diego and Imperial counties. In 2023, the City of San Diego’s Cultural Affairs and its partners launched a regional California Creative Corps arts program called Far South/Border North: Artists and Cultural Practitioners in Community, which pioneered a unique approach to supporting artists and cultural practitioners working to improve the health and well-being of local communities.

From April 8 through May 1, City Gallery invites visitors to explore the work of Far South/Border North artists and cultural practitioners and their role in promoting community health and well-being. Join the public reception on April 10 to explore the exhibition which will highlight 24 campaigns by artists, cultural practitioners and organizations participating in the Far/South Border North program. These creative campaigns continue to animate many ongoing projects. Artists, cultural practitioners, and organizations will present their campaigns and provide information about their artistic process and documentation. The exhibition will feature a variety of media, including photography, film, sculpture, drawings, paintings, and mixed-media.

The featured artists, cultural practitioners and organizations in the exhibition include: Alejandro Arreguin (The Hill Street Country Club), Evan Apodaca, Betty Bangs, Berenice Badillo, MR Barnadas, Chris Boyd (Playwrights Project), Sandra Carmona, Thelma de Castro, Cathlyn Choi (Asian Culture and Media Alliance), Sarah Garcia, Malik “Potnt Child” Glasgow, Neil Kendricks, Debby Kline, Maxx Moses, Cat Chiu Phillips, Susana Martinez (Pioneers’ Museum), Eduardo Kintero, Yvette Roman, Oscar J. Romo, Alyssa Rose (DISCO RIOT), Katie Ruiz, Luis G. Hernandez and Jesus Alfonso Corral (San Diego State University Research Foundation/SDSU Imperial Valley Campus), Anthony Sigala, Darreon “D-Stats” Staton, Angelica “Babay L. Angles” Tolentino, Eric “EV93” Vargas, natalia ventura, and more.

By bringing together these artists and cultural practitioners, the exhibition illuminates and emphasizes the dynamism of the region’s artistic ecosystem. It underscores the immense potential of collaboration between artists, cultural practitioners, nonprofit organizations and government agencies to advance community health equity.

Target Audience

This event is open to all.

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