Slanguage will be LA><ART’s educational program in-residence for an ongoing period. Founded in 2002 by Karla Diaz and Mario Ybarra, Jr., Slanguage is headquartered in Wilmington, a working-class neighborhood of Los Angeles that is part of the harbor district. Current members make artwork, curate exhibitions, coordinate events, and lead art-education workshops. A diverse group at various points in their careers, Slanguage includes teenagers, street writers, and artists of all ages. The majority of these collaborators live and work in Wilmington.
Slanguage bases their practice on a three-pronged approach to art-making to include education, community-building, and interactive exhibitions. Focusing on art education, the collective has organized numerous artist residencies in museums across the United States and abroad. Fostering dialog about the meaning and value of contemporary art, Slanguage has used their studio space and resources to cultivate relationships between diverse artists, students, communities, and organizations. And, creating artworks that have ranged from multimedia installations to performances, public events, and workshops, the collective has enriched, inspired, and provoked viewers’ imaginations through local, national, and international exhibitions.
