East Village Political Art: The Murals of La Lucha Continúa

Tuesday, May 23rd, 2017

City Lore, 56 East 1st Street

In 1985, Eva Cockcroft, founder of Artmakers Inc., gathered 34 self-described “activist artists” to create 26 political murals on the seven walls of four vacant buildings overlooking the La Plaza Cultural community garden (Avenue C, between East 8th & 9th Streets). Known as La Lucha Continua (The Struggle Continues), the murals addressed six themes: gentrification, police brutality, women’s issues, U.S. interventions in Latin America, apartheid in South Africa, and immigration. Today, the garden is thriving. But while the issues that inspired La Lucha remain of deep concern, only two of the murals remain, their paint cracked and faded. Join Jane Weissman – Artmakers member, mural historian and exhibition curator – to discuss the vital role the murals have played in the community. We’ll explore the social, political, and cultural context in which the murals were created, and look at the neighborhood today and how the issues addressed in the murals have remained and evolved.

Co-sponsored by City Lore. This presentation coincides with an exhibition at The Loisaida Center celebrating the continued relevance of the La Lucha murals.