Art Activism through Textiles

Opens Friday, December 4 from 4-6 pm, exhibit up through January 3 Gualala Arts Center Coleman Hall Gualala Arts will present Art Activism Through Textiles, a solo exhibition by textile artist Ileana Soto, opening Friday, Dec. 4, from 4 to 6 p.m. The exhibit features six works from Soto’s 2024 collaborative show Make a Way, created with three fellow artists and inspired by the legacy of civil rights leader John R. Lewis. Soto’s work explores the connections between current events, historical memory and the future. Her concerns include the erosion of basic human rights, access to safe and equitable voting, the impacts of climate change, the displacement of people seeking safety, and the role of community as resistance to anti‑democratic forces. She draws strength from Lewis’ words: “We will find a way, make a way, out of no way.” That message fuels her artistic purpose, urging viewers to make their voices heard during challenging times. As a surface‑design artist, Soto works with dye, paint and stitch, layering new and repurposed cloth with unexpected elements. Each piece builds in complexity until, as she describes it, “the art and the message are complete.” Recent family research revealed a lineage of advocacy for those with fewer privileges, a discovery that deepened her understanding of her own creative drive. “My passion for others in need is part of my DNA,” she says. “I carry the present, past and future inside me.” Art Activism Through Textiles centers on three themes: • Social justice (voting rights) • Climate justice (water, air, fire) • Community solidarity (immigration and community‑building) The exhibit includes five pieces from Make a Way, which premiered during the November 2024 presidential election: V is for Voting, Stained and Tattered, Making a Way, Votaste and Upheaval. The exhibition arrives one month after the 2026 midterm elections, a period marked by political turmoil and widespread inequities. Soto’s work does not simply document these realities; it offers visual statements on how individuals can “make a way” to continue Lewis’ legacy through daily conversations, civic engagement and efforts to restore democratic balance. Additional works address human‑driven climate change, including Global Alert, Arctic Melt, Marine Alert: Abalone Collapse and Ocean Heat. Soto also includes pieces that convey hope, such as On the Wings of Freedom, Centering Amidst Turbulence and From Captivity to Liberation. Several works serve as memorials to those who have died under systems marked by neglect and injustice, including ICED: You Will Not Be Forgotten and Executive Disorders. Invitation to the Community Visitors are encouraged to experience this deeply personal yet universal expression of outrage, compassion and resilience. Soto offers a guiding mantra for the exhibition: be kind, act justly, love mercy and practice humility. She believes that when communities embody these principles, they will prevail. 501(c)(3) Tax ID# 94-6121872 The Gualala Arts Center gratefully acknowledges the Native Peoples whose ancestral homelands we now share, and specifically the Pomo of Kashia and Manchester-Point Arena tribes, the first inhabitants of what is now coastal Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. We recognize the legacies of displacement and settlement that bring us together here and honor our shared commitment to being respectful and responsible protectors of land, water, people, arts, and culture.