Border Visions

How do artists, activists, and cultural workers come together to engage and uplift migrant justice. In 2018, CultureStrike and the Opportunity Agenda hosted Border Visions, a three-day gathering in El Paso, Texas, bringing together migrant artists, undocumented creators, influencers, and funders from across the country to engage in culture, art, and migrant liberation. Together, we have the power to imagine and create a world where liberation and justice for all people is not only possible, it’s a reality. Host the Border Visions artist convening in the borderlands of El Paso, TX was a powerful and transformative experience, for many being the first time confronting the physical border wall. The US/Mexico Border is a both powerful metaphor, cultural and political symbol, and violent reality. Border Visions centers undocumented and migrant artist leadership and voices to transform the public imagination. Border Visions motivated funders to re-think how they are engaging with border groups and artists. Artists amplified the stories of their on-the-ground experiences in the Texas borderlands and new artistic collaborations emerged. As a result, Lush Cosmetics has launched a campaign that uplifts the experiences of undocumented people across the country. Border Vision supporters and organizations included: Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Embrey Family Foundation, MidWest Culture Lab, Harness, Laundromat Project, The Autry Museum, Trans Law Center, Jelly Fish Collective, Los Dos (Ramon and Christian Cardenas), Café Mayapan, 350.org, ACLU El Paso, Indivisible Tohono, La Union de Pueblo (LUPE), ACLU San Diego, Alliance San Diego, Texas Organizing Project, Hope Border Institute, Pop Collaborative, Lush Cosmetics, Soze, and Revolve Impact. Take a look at photos from Border Visions 2018.