Voz Alta Helps Artists Speak Out Loud
Independent gallery in Barrio Logan provides a forum for underground art and music.
by Jesica Fager, photos by Heather Quinn

Storm Rider: San Diego artist Brisk One's latest series is inspired by the 1998 Hong Kong film "Storm Riders." His art is on display at the Voz Alta Project's gallery in Barrio Logan until June 12.

By most standards a wall full of colorful, spray painted lettering would hardly qualify as art. Graffiti isn’t what you typically see being exhibited in all those high-end art galleries with their fancy lighting and elaborate production value. Well, volunteer-based organization Voz Alta checks pretension at the door and brings the human connection back to the artistic experience. The group not only offers artists a space to showcase their work but strives to bring a rich cultural experience to the community through any and all forms of art including photography, music and poetry among others. Voz Alta supports the idea that art can exist anywhere and what’s considered art is open to interpretation.

Native San Diegan Brisk One, whose artwork was recently on display at the gallery, said he’s been into art for most of his life. He said he used to do a lot of graffiti style painting on walls but over the last few years has gotten more into working on canvases.

“I’m not really known for canvas work,” One said. “A lot of people they know me for walls. I’m still active in the aerosol world but … I’m older now so I don’t really do a lot of the illegal stuff.”

He said his more recent work has a calligraphy influence and within the paintings are words and phrases that have meaning to him. For this show he was inspired by the 1998 Hong Kong film “The Storm Riders.” One said he didn’t name the individual pieces but rather considers it all part of his Storm Riders series. He offered up his own interpretation of the movie.

“You can’t go surfing without waves,” One said. “You can be consumed by storms or you can choose to ride them. It’s more of a metaphor like you can’t climb a smooth mountain, you need something to grab onto. That’s what I got from when I first heard the words ‘storm riders.’”

Adding to the grassroots feel of Voz Alta is the fact that the featured artist will come in and set up their work themselves. Carlos Beltran, vice president and art curator, said he’s usually there helping the artists set up for the shows.

Canvas walls: Brisk One doesn't do as much aerosol paintings these days, but the different textures in his canvas work simulate the look of a wall.

Volunteers: Carlos Beltran, vice president and art curator, is one of the core group of volunteers keeping Voz Alta going for free.

“Some people trip out that the artist is hanging (their work) by themselves but we don’t have employees to help (with that),” Beltran said. “You know we’re underground, we run with the help of a lot of people, a lot of friends. (Plus) the artist personally hanging their own art adds to their connection with the space and (can) make it more personal.”

Beltran said all of the art featured at the exhibits is for sale and they try to make it affordable so that most people coming to see it can purchase it if they want.

“Everything’s usually for sale,” Beltran said. “It would be kind of hard to have a show that’s not for sale because we’re looking for emerging people trying to expose their art.”

Voz Alta was started by a group known as the Taco Shop Poets more than ten years ago and the first location was on E and 9th Street, board president and music programmer Dante Loaiza said. He said back then he Beltran would attend the events, but he never expected that one day they’d be running things.

“I was always a person who went to the music jam sessions but I was never involved with the space,” Loaiza said. “I would go to the events and (I was) a performer but like in the last year or two over there at 16th and Broadway, that’s when me and Carlos came along and started … volunteering and getting involved. Then the director at the time … got another job and handed it over to us.”

Voz Alta is now on its third location, having lost their last space on 16th and Broadway through imminent domain to City College. They’ve been at their current headquarters on National Ave. in Barrio Logan since last October, and Loaiza said he thinks it’s worked out well so far.

“When we found this space it was cool because it was in a (place) where it could have some sort of impact on our neighborhood kids,” he said.

Voz Alta works to gets local children involved in art by hosting workshops. Loaiza said that while he thinks art is an important thing for a young person to be able to experience, a lot of times kids prefer less traditional forms of art such as graffiti. He said the kids in the neighborhood can easily be led astray, so he and the other Voz Alta volunteers try to keep them occupied with something constructive rather than destructive.

“A lot of kids don’t want to do the art they tell them to in school,” Loaiza said. “We’ve had graffiti shows where we just put in some plywood. We’re happy to have them do their art and show them there’s a way to present it properly and maybe even make some money off of it.”

When he was growing up he was into music but didn’t have a group like Voz Alta to turn to for creative expression.

“I started playing in school but there was never anybody else into music or anything like that … so I was always looking for a place to play … I never could until I got older and got a car and was able to find it,” Loaiza said. “But as a teenager I could never find a place like that. That’s also one of the reasons why I do it – to give those young kids coming up a chance to have a place (to go).”

Loaiza said Voz Alta fits in at its current location – right down the street from historic Chicano Park – because the area is no stranger to art.

“One of the cool things about the neighborhood is that there’s always been a lot of arts here like a couple friends of ours did the mural on this building here and a couple other buildings,” Loaiza said. “There (was) also a huge door painting campaign so there’s always a lot of arts and music.”

As far as how they select who gets featured, whether it be an artist. musician, etc., Loaiza and Beltran, along with the other Voz Alta volunteers, know a lot of people around town just from being performers themselves. Loaiza said Voz Alta’s previous location was next to a bar and that there were always a lot of artists hanging out there as well. He said they try to have at least two art shows a month and have music in between. They also feature music at the art shows. Voz Alta wants to be a welcoming place and encourage artists from any and all cultural backgrounds, Loaiza said.

“That’s how you meet people and that’s how you find good artists and good art,” Loaiza said. “You just can’t be anybody. If you’re gonna bring it you gotta bring it strong, you know?”

Everyone involved with the Voz Alta project that helps put the events together is a volunteer. Since no one gets paid for the time they put in there, Loaiza said people help because they care about the organization and its impact. He said since many of the volunteers are artists of some sort - he’s in the band Agua Dulce and Beltran is a photographer - Voz Alta serves as a creative outlet for them as well.

“If there’s something you want to do artistically it gives you the opportunity to have a space to do it,” Loaiza said. “When people help out around here it’s like you’re a part of what’s going on too so that’s one of the benefits. At least for me it’s one of the reasons I do it. And then a lot of people who come (help) too they feel good doing it.”

Loaiza said they want to keep expanding their artistic repertoire. He said Voz Alta eventually hopes to have theater productions and last month they started hosting movie nights. They’re planning on showing foreign and indie films but also want people to submit their own picks.

“We’re (also) trying to get a hold of local filmmakers and stuff like that,” Loaiza said. “We want to have everything we can.”