with Zackary Drucker, Ahree Lee, Sandra de la Loza, Jaklin Romine. Moderated by Mario Ontiveros. In this episode, the artists continue their conversation about visibility and access. Woven through their talk are issues of vulnerability, generosity, and accountability, as well as intolerance, privilege, and art-washing. This conversation was recorded in February 2020, before the global pandemic and mass uprising in the name of racial justice and against police brutality. Find more information about the series and the artists at https://www.x-traonline.org/online/artists-and-rights-podcast

with Zackary Drucker, Ahree Lee, Sandra de la Loza, and Jaklin Romine. Moderated by Mario Ontiveros. In this episode, the artists discuss the ethical pitfalls and radical possibilities of visibility. On the flip side of “becoming visible,” they also talk about erasure and invisibility. Access is not universal, and even the most ethically-minded efforts can still be exclusionary. For example, to the disabled body: Jaklin Romine reminds us that many progressive institutions and centers often they lack awareness that disabled bodies are denied entry to their spaces: “Any space that is not physically accessible to the disabled body is not radical.”

with Arshia Haq, Marcus Kuiland-Nazario, Latipa, and Mario Ybarra Jr.. Moderated by Mario Ontiveros. In the second part of their discussion, the artists delve more deeply into the importance of both intimacy AND engagement. They talk about how to theorize, act, and create from a place of intimacy—whether it be the nightclub or grandmother’s pillowcase.

with Arshia Haq, Marcus Kuiland-Nazario, Latipa, and Mario Ybarra Jr. Moderated by Mario Ontiveros. The artists gathered around the table today take up the artist’s role in relation to institutions; and how they are shaped by these institutions and they work to re-shape institutions. The talk about alternative pedagogical structures, and what is lost and gained as they operate within or outside of different kinds of spaces.

With Cog•nate Collective, Vishal Jugdeo, Patrick Staff, and Elana Mann. Moderated by Mario Ontiveros.  In today’s episode, the group picks up their conversation and works to define and reframe the idea of the artist.  This session was recorded back in February 2020. Before COVID-19 had a name, and before the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor sparked a global movement for racial justice. And yet, this conversation addresses the present in so many ways. They discuss what solidarity looks like and the complexities of collaboration. Assessing different levels of need across groups, and understanding the time and work to achieve transformation. They acknowledge that it very well might be necessary to be uncomfortable.  The stories they share span working with women vendors in a market in Tijuana, collaborating across continents with a trans person in India, partnering with non-artist tech startups, and maintaining and activating criticality towards art institutions while working within them. They talk more about the need to re-imagine art history and to look beyond art institutions to find guidance.  They also grapple with the need to un-do and un-learn what they were taught in school. This is a key step in the decolonization of the mind, a concept introduced in the first episode by Todd Gray. One take away from this episode is that the future must be built on a foundation of solidarity, that careful collaboration and reciprocity require dialogue and risk. And, importantly, it will take time.Learn more about the artists and X-TRA at www.X-TRAOnline.org

With Cog•nate Collective, Vishal Jugdeo, Patrick Staff, and Elana Mann. Moderated by Mario Ontiveros. One of the underlying concerns of this conversation is identified by Amy of Cog•nate Collective when she says, “How can we knit together our capacities? Can we stitch together, or weave tight enough so that we can catch the people who are falling through?”

EPISODE 2:SUPERPOWERS AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES: DEFINING WHAT YOU WANT TO SUSTAINwith Nao Bustamante, Todd Gray, Gelare Khoshgozaran, and Jennifer Moon.Moderated by Mario Ontiveros In this episode, the artists pick up their conversation from last week. They discuss strategies for protecting the time needed to make work. They get into the economic and pedagogical challenges of working with emerging artists in MFA programs. And assert the importance of defining what drives your goals and learning to sustain that.This session was recorded back in December 2019. But you’ll hear how the pandemic, the protests, and the failures of the government have only shed more light on the intersection of inequity, racism, and injustice that compels the work of these artists.Conceptually we all can understand how these systems of oppression work, but how it sits in the body—being unable to shake that feeling of unworthiness, or feeling fraudulent—is really difficult." —Jennifer Moon Find more info about the artists and the podcast here.

with Nao Bustamante, Todd Gray, Gelare Khoshgozaran, and Jennifer Moon. Moderated by Mario Ontiveros. In this conversation, the artists explore the challenges of sustaining a creative life. The discussion addresses radical acts of self-care, teaching, mentoring, and ways to enact creative communities and build supportive relationships to effect change. “For the revolution, stay ready so you don’t have to get ready,” says Nao Bustamante. Learn more about the artists and X-TRA at www.x-traonline.org.

X-TRA’s Artists and Rights is a conversation series exploring what art can do, at the intersection of artistic practice and Los Angeles’s most urgent issues. Learn more on our site. Listen as art historian Mario Ontiveros moderates conversations between a group of LA based artists. You'll hear from Nao Bustamante, Cog•nate Collective, Michelle Dizon, Zackary Drucker, Todd Gray, Arshia Haq, Vishal Jugdeo, Gelare Khoshgozaran, Marcus Kuiland-Nazario, Ahree Lee, Sandra de la Loza, Elana Mann, Jennifer Moon, Jaklin Romine, Patrick Staff, and Mario Ybarra Jr.! They share strategies for reaching across the boundaries of their disciplines. Building bridges. Working collectively. Creating supportive conditions and opportunities.  Subscribe today so you don't miss out on the conversation.Visit our website x-traonline.org for more information.