Art is about myth-making. It was around: How do we make this image? And so because of that, I believe that art is a way for people to express themselves through the making of objects or the making of images that allows them the simple their lived experiences in an artistic medium. So that’s one thing. The character on the left is gender queer, meaning not exclusively masculine or feminine, according to Rodriguez, and has her fist in the air. First, I look at what the impact on the people who experienced the art was. I created an exercise with my organization, CultureStrike, where we had videos on how you can cut out your own wings. And the third thing I look at is, artistically, what was the experience for the artist? Saved by Timothy Turner. And frankly, you could only understand that if you are watching it or if you’re engaging in it. This little pig who was saved, and he’s in a sanctuary now.” Or I’m gonna tell the story of a kid who has asthma because the refineries are in his town. They have to first believe that oil is bad and solar is good and therefore they’ll vote for clean energy. Or when the fires happened, I’m like, “Okay let’s talk about climate policy.” Now that the migrant caravan is happening, I am pushing out the butterfly again. I am an agitator and artist. I mean, I care about culture, I care about pop culture. Jan 18, 2012 - The online spot to get fine art, limited edition prints, political posters, calendars, books, t-shirts, and sexy dresses by Favianna Rodriguez, an acclaimed artist engaged in social change. Was that a conscious decision? Favianna Rodriguez is a visual artist whose poster prints address social justice issues from war to reproductive justice. So, by the time some of these artists are ready to engage they have a solid foundation of an understanding of the issues, but they also have the ability not to just regurgitate movement messaging. And from that experience they have, you have faith that there will be some fruit in the future? I mean, we have to understand the issues. It’s important that we create objects that people can attach themselves to. I’m not just gonna say, “go vegan,” or I’m not just gonna say “oh, the factory farming industry is horrible,” I’m actually thinking: “I’m gonna tell the story of this little pig. I mean, I care about culture, I care about pop culture. I also created make-your-own butterfly kits. I mean art is really our imagination. And having fun, not just attending a protest, but actually putting on a costume that is fun — migrant kids especially, because I would do butterfly making workshops with a lot of immigrant kids. So we also need the artists who don’t have the experience to actually go to the impacted places and see for themselves, but also listen to local people. You know it’s one of my all-time favorite sort of symbols, campaigns, so on and so forth. Latino bilingual news paper serving the community in the silicon valley in the Santa Clara county The second thing is: Do movement people now have another tool in their tool box that they can leverage? Absolutely. I just, I’m participating in culture. And it’s also about creating something to note and to reflect your existence. This is also why we need artists with first-hand, lived experience. Because even though it sounds easy, it’s actually not easy. Before heading north, Sanchez spent a year as immigration reporter at the San Diego Union-Tribune, where she covered the region's multicultural communities, social justice topics and life on the U.S. -Mexico border. Communications messaging is different than what we need in order to win hearts. To make your own wings that’ll stay on and doing it with just like DIY in your home, it actually is a few steps, so it required a whole curriculum. The bird represents people who “migrate to improve their lives,” Rodriguez writes, and the hand “represents the manual labor that migrants do once they reach their foreign destination.” Human beings have always expressed themselves through two key things: They’ve attempted to understand the world through science and through art. How unique is the name Favianna? I also created make-your-own butterfly kits. They’ve created a narrative. Listen to local artists. It’s important that we create objects that people can attach themselves to. I love to travel and I am married to my art practice. A group including four of the authors of the Cultural New Deal: Roberta Uno (seated, in white shoes), Lori Pourier (seated, in grey top), Jeff Chang (at right) and Favianna Rodriguez (second from right). (Center for Cultural Power) The Cultural New Deal goes beyond individual artists. But then: How do we also facilitate its distribution and its use. The timing of it wasn’t right. I wanted to ask you about the “Migration is Beautiful” monarch butterfly. And what does art have to do with it? (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group), Oakland artist and organizer Favianna Rodriguez designed the artwork for Ben & Jerry's new "Pecan Resist" political ice cream pint, that is photographed in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. And those beliefs first have to change before someone is willing to vote on it. Favianna Rodriguez. SD: You facilitated using your skills in order to make it look nicer, make it more accessible to people. And how do you know when it doesn’t work? What is the narrative? This little pig who was saved, and he’s in a sanctuary now.” Or I’m gonna tell the story of a kid who has asthma because the refineries are in his town. I mean, we have to understand the issues. In a way, you’re answering the question that I wanted to move to next, which is: How do you think social change happens? Have you ever had a project that didn’t work? So I think that the creation of art simply as a gesture of contemplation and also the activities that people get to do, is also part of it. But it has to speak to their emotional heart. And in reality, the opportunities to do that in communities of color, are extremely limited, very, very limited. And those beliefs first have to change before someone is willing to vote on it. You know, like when I do projects on factory farming and on fossil fuels, like I really try to think about: What perspectives am I sharing here? We’re not gonna be able to be effective artists if we don’t submerge ourselves in the realities. And please share it with other Burners. In order for people to transition off of oil, they first have to be able to imagine what their life can be like — they have to almost unlearn some things. Or when the fires happened, I’m like, “Okay let’s talk about climate policy.” Now that the migrant caravan is happening, I am pushing out the butterfly again. I just say, “Just take it in, and you are a storyteller, and try to think about how you want it to come out and the story that you tell.”. SD: Right, right, it goes back to that sort of emotional knowledge as opposed to just information. The image  is not just the monarch, it actually has two faces in it, which added to this sort of blending of humans and the natural world. They need to feel it. And that, to me, means that this is the time to talk about a bunch of stories around sexual abuse — it’s a completely different landscape than last year. Once you learn the sort of ebbs and flows of it, it allows you to go it at the right time, and to actually ride that wave. Although it also sounds like in thinking about an artist’s autonomy, you also hold artists, or at least hold yourself, up to pretty high standards. FR: I follow the news, I follow social media, I see what people are talking about. I'm a multidisciplinary artist and also a worker of social justice. Favianna Rodriguez: I'm a visual artist. Artist Favianna Rodriguez and political commentator Van Jones have a lot in common. Ben & Jerry’s unveils new flavor for midterm elections So, that’s something that I did differently that I actually think led to the mass appeal of it, because it was a very open invitation and it was an affirmative message, it was a positive message. FR: There’s always fruit, and that’s the thing that, I trust artists. Rodriguez is known for using her art as a tool for activism. Weird things about the name Favianna: The name spelled backwards is Annaivaf. And having fun, not just attending a protest, but actually putting on a costume that is fun — migrant kids especially, because I would do butterfly making workshops with a lot of immigrant kids. And it’s also more systemic. That they kind of have some pride in creating it, but also that it’s a fun and memorable experience. Can you talk a little bit about that, this sort of relationship between art making and politics making, citizen making, wellness making? And I want to create the stories and the images that I long for. A lot of times I’m doing workshops, like political poster workshops, where everyone gets to make their poster. And then I created merchandise with it, and I created things that people could put up in their living rooms, t-shirts, earrings, because I also think that so often a lot of things just live online, but I do think that people really want to show their values. But a lot of times, the fossil fuel industry has told us that we need oil, oil is a sign of progress. Although it also sounds like in thinking about an artist’s autonomy, you also hold artists, or at least hold yourself, up to pretty high standards. In addition to her work at CultureStrike, Rodriguez is a prolific artist and created “Migration is Beautiful,” an image that has been widely adopted as a symbol of the migrant rights movement. I follow the news, I follow social media, I see what people are talking about. Who is the Oakland artist behind Ben and…, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Map: PG&E power outages across Bay Area amid high winds, Oakland artist Favianna Rodriguez is the face behind Ben and Jerry’s new anti-Trump pint, Ben & Jerry’s unveils new flavor for midterm elections, What flavor is this California candidate? Favianna Rodriguez: The concept of connecting the monarch butterfly to migration is something that I believe has been going on since the 80’s. Tatiana Sanchez covers race, demographics and immigration for the Bay Area News Group. Her forms include visual art, public art, writing, cultural organizing and … “I wanted it to be fantastical and attractive to youth and show people of color that they can express themselves.”, The pint shows three people of color standing shoulder-to-shoulder but facing in different directions. She's based in San Jose. FR: Yes, culture is a set of behaviors and ideas and beliefs. What are people saying, and where is there some friction? You know, like when I do projects on factory farming and on fossil fuels, like I really try to think about: What perspectives am I sharing here? Art is about myth-making. Her designs and projects range on a variety of different issues including globalization, immigration, feminism, patriarchy, interdependence, and genetically modified foods. Art is the space of ideas and myth-making and culture-making — it’s a component of social justice, that social justice will only happen when you have activation in the political space, in the cultural space, and in the economic space. Yet, the fact is there is still so much we can do to stop this crisis. It’s like they’re spectators, they’re not participants. I’ve also taught art workshops, where I know that a lot of the kids who won’t go to math class will go to art class. And that, to me, means that this is the time to talk about a bunch of stories around sexual abuse — it’s a completely different landscape than last year. Do you mind telling me where the idea for the monarch butterfly came from, what you did with it, and how you thought about the whole? Her artistic practice is about boldly reshaping myths, ideas, and cultural practices of the present, while confronting and correcting wounds of the past. It was around: How do we make this image? And it’s also about creating something to note and to reflect your existence. Favianna Rodriguez is a transnational interdisciplinary artist and cultural organizer. What I did differently and how I was able to really maximize it, is I created a symbol that explicitly connected the migration of insects to the migration of people, and that it was actually something that it was dictated by nature. I think that art is the language of possibility. Many artists are not always thinking about timing. Art is the language of the future, and through art we can actually create the vision of the world we want to see. So I’ve had projects where the timing hasn’t been right or I’m just not tapping into the moment. And we actually have molded our lives around that idea. So, because there a lot of times the butterfly had been used like an add-on element to a message that would either be “stop deportation” or “migrants are human beings” or “migrant rights are human rights.” Still framing it through the lens of human rights or criminalization. One of the things I’m interested in is: how do people like you know that what you’ve done works? What was the quality of the interaction with the work or the experience? Sure. I’ve been waiting about a year for this show and it's finally here! Post was not sent - check your email addresses! We invest so much in the leadership development of grassroots organizers, we need to be supporting the leadership of artists early on, early, early on. So that’s one thing. you have a good project, if some of these issues are not in the news cycle it might get picked up by some random art people but it doesn’t really move in the way that it needs to move. The timing of it wasn’t right. I always want to create opportunities for people to engage with the work in a way where they’re also embodying it. Which tells me that we actually also need to prioritize art making in our communities, because that’s also a way to heal. We invest so much in the leadership development of grassroots organizers, we need to be supporting the leadership of artists early on, early, early on. Because sometimes we also host, it’s not just the creation of an object, it’s a show or it’s a film. For me, the butterfly also represents transformation. Do you mind telling me where the idea for the monarch butterfly came from, what you did with it, and how you thought about the whole? This is also why we need artists with first-hand, lived experience. Social activism has long been part of Ben & Jerry’s MO. They’ve created a culture. So, for example, people are not gonna vote for clean energy if they don’t believe that oil is dirty. Her work and collaborative initiatives address migration, gender justice, sexual freedom and ecology. I created an exercise with my organization. They’ve created a narrative. Art is the language of the future, and through art we can actually create the vision of the world we want to see. FR: I think that art is the language of possibility. SD: You said something really interesting which is this notion that policy won’t happen unless the culture changes, right? In order for people to transition off of oil, they first have to be able to imagine what their life can be like — they have to almost unlearn some things. In 2017, Sanchez was part of a team of East Bay Times reporters awarded the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news coverage of the Ghost Ship fire in Oakland. Oakland artist and organizer Favianna Rodriguez work on a collage at her studio in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. I believe all art is coming from a point of view, and we’ve grown up in a world where overwhelmingly we are seeing the world through the perspective of white men and we’re seeing their art and their gain. They never seen this wall, and they realized that it’s such a fabrication. What was the quality of the interaction with the work or the experience? So I’ve had projects where the timing hasn’t been right or I’m just not tapping into the moment. In a way, you’re answering the question that I wanted to move to next, which is: How do you think social change happens? Favianna Rodriguez, Jordan Kurland, Dhaya Lakshminarayanan and Marc Bamuthi Joseph joined KQED senior arts editor Chloe Veltman for a conversation about Art and Resistance at The Battery in San Francisco on Thursday, Apr. Related Articles I mean there’s just a lot of ways for it to be interpreted. Her art and praxis address migration, gender justice, climate change, racial equity, and sexual freedom. And that’s what we do. To document how you’re experiencing life in a way that may not be scientific or is more about myth-making and storytelling, that to me is art. In order to shift that, people need to see it — they actually need to see it. And it’s also more systemic. We’re not gonna be able to be effective artists if we don’t submerge ourselves in the realities. Favianna Rodriguez (born September 26, 1978) is an American artist and activist. President Trump has not commented on the flavor. And so often our messages are about what’s politically feasible. Favianna Rodriguez. How Trump will hand off nuclear football if he won’t meet Biden, ‘The last place they want to go’: How COVID-19 is devastating East San Jose businesses, Why traffic reporters aren’t flying anymore — and why that’s not a bad thing: Roadshow. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. We’re trying to activate culture which is different than activating legislative or policy change. So, for example, people are not gonna vote for clean energy if they don’t believe that oil is dirty. So, I think in general it’s a metaphor that’s been out there. Because I feel that often a lot of our messaging is a fighting message. Climate change can be so overwhelming. The company also announced it is donating $25,000 to each of four organizations working to support people of color: Color of Change, Honor the Earth, Neta and the Women’s March. And then I created merchandise with it, and I created things that people could put up in their living rooms, t-shirts, earrings, because I also think that so often a lot of things just live online, but I do think that people really want to show their values. As human beings, we’ve always been migrating since the beginning of time. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group). Here, Rodriguez discusses the power of art to open our minds. SD:  Have you ever had a project that didn’t work? For example, right now we’re in a #MeToo wave. SD: Can you talk a little bit about that, this sort of relationship between art making and politics making, citizen making, wellness making? Glenn Robinson #FaviannaRodriquez, #IamOther, Favianna Rodriguez, immigration, migration is beautiful Meet powerhouse artist/activist Favianna Rodriguez — a leading voice in the movement of artists raising awareness about U.S. immigration issues. Art is the language of the future, and through art we can actually create the vision of the world we want to see…To document how you’re experiencing life in a way that may not be scientific or is more about myth-making and storytelling, that to me is art. Because policy is a manifestation of culture. The Vermont based ice cream maker has rebranded one of its flavors as “Pecan Resist,” with a featured design on the pint created by California-based activist and artist Favianna Rodriguez. Communications messaging is usually designed to get your senator to do X, Y, Z. It’s not designed to move people. We always support emerging artists. In addition to her work at, , Rodriguez is a prolific artist and created “Migration is Beautiful,” an image that has been widely adopted as a symbol of the migrant rights movement. And how did you know that it didn’t work? And how did you know that it didn’t work? Rodriguez, a life-long artist who travels the world as an organizer, said she’s been “at the front line of social movements,” creating artwork around abortion, climate change, immigrants rights and other topics. People use that metaphor, because the other sort of metaphor that exists, especially for Day of the Dead, is that the monarchs carry the spirits of the dead.