The Opening of the Los de Abajo Printmaking Collective’s Behind Bars Art Exhibit will include an Artists Reception at 12:00 noon on September 7, 2014 at UU Santa Monica (the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica). Several of the artists will be hosting the reception. The show will run September 7-28. All works are for sale. It is open to the public Sunday mornings and on weekdays by appointment; Contact Nancy at assistant@uusm.org. A portion of the proceeds will benefit UU Santa Monica. Admission is free.

The exhibit includes several major pieces by Kay Brown, Nguyen Ly, Poli Marichal, Don Newton and Marianne Sadowski denouncing the current state of the U.S. prison system. The pieces are part of a collection, curated by Laura Pomerantz, that was originally created at the Collective’s residency at the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC), in Venice, CA during the fall of 2013. In May, 2014 the exhibition opened at the Taller Boricua Gallery in New York City. In 2015 the full exhibition will be presented at the El Camino College art gallery.

The Los de Abajo Printmaking Collective is committed to promoting the print arts through collaborative projects, workshops and exhibitions. Artists are encouraged to push the boundaries of printmaking and participate in individual experimentation within the medium. This year is the collective’s 10^th anniversary. Los de Abajo is part of the Consejo Gráfico network of independent print shops formed to advance the legacy of Latino printmaking in the United States. Consejo Gráfico strives to preserve the activist orientation that spearheaded Latino printmaking and bring this element to the forefront.

Los de Abajo Printmaking Collective:                                                 Consejo Gráfico:

History & Bios of Los de Abajo Printmaking Collective                      www.consejografico.com

kay.h.brown@gmail.com or losdeabajocollective@gmail.com