\u27The Purpose of Being\u27 - Opening Reception for the LA artists/activists and LMU collaborators

Curator Ronald Lopez from the 18th Street Arts Center and LMU Faculty Liaisons Jane Brucker and SaeRi Cho Dobson The exhibition participants for The Purpose of Being at Loyola Marymount University include: Selected LMU students led by Amitis Motevalli, Arzu Arda Kosar, Elana Mann + Vera Brunner-Sung, Jane Brucker, Kristin Ross Lauterbach + Christina Lee Storm, Ofunne Obiamiwe and SaeRi Cho Dobson. The Purpose of Being, which ran simultaneously with Harmony Reverberates Optimism (HRO). The HRO exhibit was held at Jaus Gallery (1943 S. Westgate Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90025). Each exhibit focused on women and their efforts to create social change through their art form. Both exhibits exercised social criticism at its highest form through, not only aesthetically pleasing work, but art that provokes dialogue and pushes boundaries; art that is active and penetrates society in such a way that it promotes itself fiercely and unapologetically. Artists involved push the limits and blur the line between activist and artist. The two exhibits coexisted as a dialogue with one another. Harmony Reverberates Optimism was originally exhibited at McNish Gallery, Oxnard College and now becomes the precursor to its evolved counter part and action show, The Purpose of Being. The original exhibit was shown in its entirety at Jaus gallery. The intention of The Purpose of Being took the ideas from the Harmony show a step further as it becomes the action of Optimism. Each artist activated selected students from Loyola Marymount University and collaborated on new social interventions that led to new discussions and art works exhibited during the Bellarmine Forum