Joel Garcia
Joel Garcia (Huichol) is an artist, arts administrator and cultural organizer with 20+ years of experience working locally and transnationally focusing on community-centered strategies. His approach is rooted in Indigenous-based forms of dialoguing and decision-making (non-hierarchical) that uplifts non-institutional expertise. Joel uses arts-based strategies such as printmaking, installations, creative action, and altar-making to raise awareness of issues facing underserved communities, youth, and other targeted populations. As a fellow of Monument Lab’s National Fellowship (’19) and current fellow (20-’21) of “Shaping the Past” a partnership between the Goethe-Institut, Monument Lab and the German Federal Agency for Civic Education he’s using altar-making as a means to create artistic programs to dialogue about memory and place. Currently, he's an Artist-In-Residence at the LA Cleantech Incubator.
He’s the co-founder of Meztli Projects, an Indigenous-based arts & culture collaborative centering indigeneity into the creative practice of Los Angeles. He served as Co-Director at Self Help Graphics & Art (‘10-’18) a nationally acclaimed arts organization founded in 1972 which helped nurture Chicano Art and Dia de los Muertos.