The Impossible Task of Community Art Practice

Abstract

Through a formal examination of some of the most important long-term community art practices in Chicago, Mexican American artists and educators Jorge Lucero and William Estrada recount their own community art work in the Chicago area. The chapter is divided into three parts: Precedent, Contemporary Stories, and Tips. The first section is an overview of relevant markers and important precedent in community art practice. The second part comprises two stories of contemporary community art practice in which the authors have been involved. Finally, the authors propose 13 tips for enacting the “impossible” act of community arts practice. Lucero and Estrada recommend that community art practitioners pay close attention to the longevity of their work, incorporating difference, listening, “deskilling,” playfulness, love, failure, the complicated relationship with institutions, collecting data, co-creation, inquiry, and situationality.