On Thursday, April 13, 2023, the UC Merced Library held an opening reception for the current exhibit, Building a New Future: Art and Activism in the Central Valley—Photographs by George Ballis. Ballis was an activist and photographer who documented the living and working conditions of farm workers beginning in the 1950s, and the development of organized agricultural labor.
Maia Ballis spoke at the reception and introduced her late husband’s work. “He made it a point to use his time to document what was going on in the fields,” she said, and described how he captured perspectives that may not have been seen otherwise, including images of Maria Moreno, the first woman organizer for the AFL-CIO. Ballis was impressed by Moreno’s strength, and with his photographs aimed to reflect the dignity he saw in each person.
Following the reception, Agustín Lira and Patricia Wells spoke of a similar intent in their music and performed a selection of songs, including “Quihubo Raza,” “When I Die,” and “If You’re Homeless,” which wove in themes of resistance to exploitation and the continued fight for workers' rights. Lira is a singer, songwriter, and director who cofounded El Teatro Campesino with Luis Valdez during the Delano Grape Strike and created songs that inspired and supported the farmworkers' efforts. Wells was active with the United Farm Workers in the 1970s and partnered with Lira to establish El Teatro de la Tierra as well as the musical group Alma. Lira discussed the experience of marching to Sacramento during the Delano Grape Strike and how his song, “La Peregrinación” (The Pilgrimage), expressed the sacrifice as well as the motivation of fellow organizers.
Desde Delano voy hasta Sacramento
Hasta Sacramento
mis derechos a pelear.
In a conversation with the audience moderated by Professor Manuel Martín Rodríguez, Lira and Wells asserted the urgency of the ongoing need to challenge dominant narratives in the media and to continue the traditions of protest music.
Songs of Struggle & Hope by Agustín Lira is available to UC Merced through Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries, VPN connection required.
Building a New Future: Art and Activism in the Central Valley—Photographs by George Ballis, will be exhibited through July 28th at the Kolligian Library, second floor.
