Jacalyn Lopez Garcia: LIFE CYCLES: Reflections of Change and A New Hope for Future Generations

Oculorium Gallery Project Series
January 21-April 15, 2006
Opening Reception: January 21, 2006, 7-9pm

UCR/California Museum of Photography
3824 Main Street, Riverside, CA, 92501

Gallery & Museum Store Hours:�
Tuesday - Saturday 12 to 5 p.m.
More information: https://www.cmp.ucr.edu
Photo: Fieldworkers by Jacalyn Lopez Garcia

Life Cycles: Reflections of Change and A New Hope for Future Generations examines the personal histories of immigrant and migrant farm worker families that settled in the colonias of Coachella Valley, California. With the help of a grant from the California Council For The Humanities, multimedia artist, Jacalyn Lopez Garcia follows the progress of seven migrant families to create a photographic document of their involvement in the changing Californian social landscape. This multimedia documentary project focuses on the personal stories of struggle and accomplishments of families, students, and members of the growing Colonia communities located in the Southeastern deserts of California.

Jacalyn Lopez Garcia's photographic series reveals the harsh realities of desert living and critically examines the relationship between some of the "past" and "present" outside improvement strategies on the lifestyles of Colonia residents. The dream of economic independence and a better life draws immigrants and migrants to these Colonias, but they often survive in harsh living conditions that make day-to-day life a full-time job. To bring further clarity and a new level of understanding to this documentary series, researchers (including Garcia herself) conducted interviews with the Colonia residents to document their life experiences. The results of this portion of the documentary project, as well as the photographs, and her video collection "Cultural Crossings" have been incorporated into an interactive website that will be released on the CMP webserver accessible at https://www.cmp.ucr.edu beginning January 21st.