Envisioning Sanctuary

The number of people in immigration detention in the US has hit an all-time high according to data published by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In response, the Somos Santuario / We Are Sanctuary poster campaign asks us to envision a culture of care and solidarity so powerful that fear-based scapegoating of immigrants no longer has power.

You’ll learn from two of the East Bay artists and designers behind the Somos Santuario poster campaign, which has distributed 25,000 Know Your Rights posters and postcards to schools, libraries, religious institutions, advocacy organizations, and businesses throughout the Bay Area. Together, your inner artist will be invited to reflect, draw, and share with others in response to these questions:

• What does sanctuary look like to you?
• What creates a sense of belonging? Of refuge?
• What makes a sanctuary community? A sanctuary building? A sanctuary person?
• How can sharing our visions of sanctuary transform allies from passive to active bystanders?
• What is the role of our civic institutions in creating a welcoming community for all our residents?

We ask that participants arrive on time and, if possible, plan to stay for the full duration of the workshop.

About the Artists

Jules Cowan is an artist and designer advancing cultural and political change. Their design and art have supported grassroots political candidates, the Green New Deal, sanctuary cities, racial justice ballot initiatives, oil pipeline blockades, union worker co-ops, tenant protections, Palestinian human rights, LGBTQI2S+ liberation, incarcerated journalists, Puerto Rican independence, and ending gender-based violence. Just as much a part of their creative process, they play soccer with the Left Wing Fútbol Club, meditate, and cuddle their dog, Wonder.

Robert Liu-Trujillo (@robert_tres) is an author, illustrator, and organizer from Oakland, whose practice includes murals, public art, arts education, merchandise making, illustration, event organizing, and children’s book publishing.

His most recent books are Fresh Juice / Jugo Fresco, which he wrote and illustrated; Art of Rob, a 130-page book of sketches and drawings; and We Are Yoga / Somos Yoga, which Jill Guerra wrote and he illustrated. Liu-Trujillo is a member of the Trust Your Struggle Collective and a cofounder of the Social Justice Children’s Book Fair.