Finding Good Trouble
Teens take on social ills in juried art show.
Sofia Ruiz created “Defiant,” a digital painting of the late Congressman John Lewis featuring former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, for the 10th annual Artnow exhibit at New Museum Los Gatos. Ruiz, who attends Saint Francis High School, is among 78 high school students— including three from Westmont High in Campbell — whose artwork was chosen for the juried exhibit; her portrait reflects the show’s theme of “Good Trouble,” taken from a quote by Lewis.
While it would be hard to argue that a global pandemic is “good trouble,” New Museum Los Gatos (NUMU) chose the phrase as the theme for its 10th annual Artnow exhibit to allow young artists to express how they’ve coped with all the challenges of the past year.
The juried exhibit, presented as a virtual gallery, features 78 works by high school students from throughout Santa Clara County. The judges selected these works from about 580 submissions. Participating students are eligible for more than $10,000 in scholarships and awards.
The show’s theme comes from a quote by the late Congressman John Lewis, who as a young man worked for the Civil Rights Movement as a Freedom Rider. In 2018, speaking to the ongoing struggle for equal rights, Lewis said, “Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month or a year; it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
NUMU selected the theme in light of “social action in the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic: the Black Lives Matter movement, the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, and the U.S. presidential election,” and given that young people have been at the forefront of much of this action. According to a statement from the museum, the term “is a prompt which embodies the spirit of social activism so strongly present through the year 2020.”
The exhibit is online through May 9 at https://www.numulosgatos.org/ artnow-2021-virtual-tour.
Celebrating Good Trouble
NUMU has a slate of online programs scheduled in conjunction with the show. “Celebrating Good Trouble: A Mosaic of Artists and Performances,” curated by Mosaic America, is set for April 24, 2-3 p.m. The program features Ray Furtuda, hailed as
“the rock star of the flute”; educator, activist and community leader Latoya Fernandez; scientist and poet Lisa Rosenberg; and Saratoga High School senior Urmila Vudali, who will perform Bharartanatyam dance. Register at eventbrite.com.
In an April 27 Happy Hour conversation, set for 4-5 p.m., NUMU Executive Director Ami Davis will discuss how “Good Trouble” relates to art history. The event is free for NUMU members, with a suggested donation of $10 for non-members. Register at https://www.numulosgatos.org/events.