The Art of Protest at Church of the Epiphany: Eastside landmark is a sanctuary for social justice
The Church of the Epiphany in Lincoln Heights was the Los Angeles home base for Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers movement. The newspaper for the Chicano civil rights movement, La Raza, was printed in the basement. Since the 1960s, the Episcopalian church has served as a sanctuary for Chicano social justice movements, and a gathering place for those involved in them, regardless of religious affiliation.
Notable pieces include photojournalist Tish Lampert’s pictures of the three-minute “Door of Hope” reunions of families separated on opposite sides of the border; sculptural pieces by Camilo Ontiveros created from the worldly possessions of deported immigrants; a paper-collage mosaic by Mita Cuaron depicting the 1968 Chicano student walkouts; and paintings by members of the 1970s Chicano artist collective Los Four.
The art fills the church. It floats above pews and hangs by the altar. At first, congregants and clergy were apprehensive about this total takeover, but once they saw it being installed, they were extremely moved by it, by “how beautiful and powerful it is to have all these voices inside the church,” GuneWardena said.
The impetus for the show came out of discussions involving building preservation. The church, founded in 1887, was declared an L.A. Historic-Cultural Monument in 2005.
“Part of the work was to research why the building was important,” said GuneWardena. “And we realized that what happened at the church was as important — or more important — than the structures themselves.”
Works exhibited include those by both well-recognized and locally known Chicano artists: Carlos Almaraz, Vibiana Aparicio-Chamberlin, Chaz Bojorquez, Alfredo de Batuc, Beto de la Rocha, Yreina Cervantez, Andres Duran, Margaret Garcia, Roberto Gil de Montes, Henry Glovinsky, Michael Gomes, Wayne Healy, Gilbert Lujan (Magu), Lilia Ramirez, Ricardo Reyes, Guadalupe Rodriguez, Frank Romero, Victor Rosas, Victor Solis, Sheryl Spangler, John Valdez, Sergio Verdin. Works by a selection of contemporary artists who sympathize with current Latino social justice issues and the legacy of the Movement, will be included: Guillermo Bert, Carolyn Castaño, Bonnie Lambert, Ismael de Anda III, Isaias Delgado, Alex Donis, Shepard Fairey, Alexis Garcia, Gustavo Alberto Garcia Vaca, Ken Gonzales-Day, Juan Manuel Ildefonso, Tish Lampert, John C. Lewis, Arlene Mejorado, Camilo Ontiveros, Bruce Richards, Sandy Rodriguez, Marianne Sadowski, Albert Valdez, J. Michael Walker, Gloria Westcott, and other artist members of Epiphany Church.
