#warmipaint

[graffitiqueens]

Panmela Castro, Quit, Ecuador, 2015

[graffitiqueens]

Artist and curator Toofly completed the tallest mural in Ecuador in 2015.

[malefck]

warmipaint

[streetheroines-blog]

TooFly in Quito painting the tallest mural to date in the country of Ecuador. 

[streetheroines-blog]

Quito Recap for Warmi! Paint

This November I was invited by street artist & community organizer, TooFly, to attend an all-female urban arts festival in Quito, Ecuador and share my work-in-progress on ‘Street Heroines’, the film I am directing about what it’s like to be a female graffiti and street artist in male-dominated subculture. I had met TooFly three years ago while attending a similar type of festival in Lima, Peru and we’ve remained in touch over the years as I’ve navigated the graffiti underground. Originally from Queens, New York, she relocated to Ecuador three years ago and had been planning an event to unite women in the creative arts and empower others in her new community. Naturally I was was more than honored to be a part of her event that would bring women artists and creators to the forefront of cultural happenings in Latin America.

Warmi! Paint featured twenty international female artists, including honored guests Lady Pink, the first female of graffiti and Martha Cooper, graffiti and street art photographer extraordinaire. Other guests included talented Latina artists from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico and the US, as well as ten local artists from Ecuador. In its inaugural year, there were typical hurdles that any festival faces when dealing with the bureaucracy of a developing country, however, over the course of four days 20 vibrant murals were painted throughout the bustling capital city.

During the week, we all lived together, ate together and created together. While the artists painted, I filmed and interviewed them and Martha Cooper photographed. Many of their street art pieces were aimed at engaging the public in a conversation about women’s rights and brought awareness to women-focused issues such as body, identity, domestic violence, and social justice.

In addition to the street painting, there was a program of presentations including Martha Cooper’s personal slideshow of photographs she’s taken over the years that recounted how she put graffiti on the map by publishing pictures of painted trains in 1970s New York. Lady Pink lead a workshop on graffiti and Catalina Bobone, an urban arts organizer from Colombia, spoke about community engagement for Pictopia, a street art festival that happens in Medellin. During my ‘Street Heroines’ presentation, which featured six vignettes on female street artists I’ve interviewed over the years, I also held an interactive session on how to conduct an artist interview.

The last mural of Warmi! Paint was painted by TooFly and it was no easy feat. She scaled the university’s administration building to complete the tallest mural in all of Ecuador, which only seems fitting as she’s figuratively and literally taking female graffiti and street art to new heights.

For more information on the festival and to see photos please visit: http://warmipaint.com/

[theartofpau]

"Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in". •~Isaac Asimov •• A part of the mural I painted during @warmipaint Festival in Quito, Ecuador some weeks ago. • photo courtesy of my lovely friend Marialina Mavizu { https://mavizu.wordpress.com } • #theartofpau #warmipaint #quito #novemberwalls #ecuador #arteurbano #streetart #windowseat #birds #pajarosviajeros #muralismo #quote #graffitimujer #latinoamerica #southamerica #pauquintanajornet #neofolklore #openmind #alimentoparaelalma (hier: Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Quito)

[streetheroines-blog]

Qarla Quispe being photographed by Martha Cooper during Warmi Paint right before her fashion show of polleras, which are traditional skirts worn by the Ayamaras in rural Peru, Bolivia & Chile. Her WARMICHIC initiative is to bring these skirts back to the streets of Lima where many Ayamara women live but have left their traditions behind. The pollera designs serve an important role communicating to the opposite sex if one is single or married and which area from the Andes they come from.

[warmipaint]

WARMI PAINT© es un evento pionero en su tipo a realizarse en Quito, Ecuador esta plataforma busca aportar en el desarrollo del empoderamiento de la mujer en nuestro contexto profesional. Impulsando y visibilizando el trabajo y los EMPRENDIMIENTOS de mujeres jovenes creadoras, de nuestro pais y la region, buscando generar espacios dispensadores de arte y cultura de alta calidad.

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Warmi Paint© is an all women arts, and culture festival ready to launch in Quito, Ecuador this fall. A celebration of women street artists from Latin America who focus on; graffiti, street art, murals, and empowering others, especially young women through their colorful work. A group of local and international artists will be selected by Maria “Toofly” Castillo and Ache Vallejo that will include countries like Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Brasil, and others.  

Warmi = Woman in quechua, the name of a people of the central Andes of South America and their language. Women of all ages from this part of the world will create a new vision of themselves, nurture their community, and reflect a powerful message.

Special guests of honor; LADY PINK, and MARTHA COOPER + 20 women will paint collaborative murals, host workshops, and present their life’s work to the Ecuadorian community. 

International Artists: Anarkia ( Brasil) Abusa Crew ( Chile ) Bastardilla ( Colombia ) Fio Silva ( Argentina ) Ledania ( Colombia ) Lili Cuca ( Colombia ) Pau (Germany/Chile) Rank ( Mexico ) Toofly ( NYC/ Ecuador ) Tysa ( Mexico ) Vero Rivera ( Puerto Rico ) Ecuador Artists: Belu Loops, Bln Bike, Chink, Crispo, La Suerte, Lie, Maria, Males, MO, and Vera. There will be graffiti films like "WILD STYLE" by producer Charlie Ahearn, Short films like "Street Heroines" by Alexandra Henry (NYC), a live performance by Qarla Quispe (Peru),  and guest organizers like Catalina Bobone and Romina Bianchini who will chat with us about producing events. Slideshow presentations, panels, youth workshops, pop-up shops, music concert and more!!! The hop-on/hop off "Warmi Bus" invites our festival guests, and Quito community to visit the mural process live at 3 locations: 1. Contemporary Art Center 2. Universidad Central 3. La Floresta. People of all ages will benefit from this unique cross cultural exchange, and community building experience. THE EVENT IS FREE!