A new exhibition at the CSUN Art Gallery highlights the historically prevelant overlap of art and politics.

“We Meet on the Streets” is an exhibition featuring video, photography and art, putting the daily experiences of immigrants and unhoused people at the forefront. It goes beyond what viewers typically see in the news every day, with most artists focused on telling the entirety of a story – not just what would increase ratings or engagement.

Community organizer and researcher for Aetna Street Solidarity, Carla Orendorff, sees the show as a teachable moment.

“It is important to connect students with the history and the truth of what happens to unhoused people,” Orendorff said. “To have an art show dedicated to communicating these stories – it was an honor to have been asked to participate.”

Aetna Street Solidarity is a mutual aid group that started in 2020 and has several artists contributing their work to the show. One is an installation by Ron Hams called “The Living Room,” which serves as a living memorial honoring unhoused people who have died while trying to survive on the streets of Los Angeles.

Artist and muralist Erica Friend’s 24×36 collage is a piece that she originally created in 2007 during the Bush administration. The piece emphasizes issues like deportation and trade.

“Books were being banned, we were going into a war that we were not really supposed to be part of. So many things were happening,” Friend said. “My piece kind of just shows how it’s always been a long struggle in the movement, and it’s still being fought to this day.”

Street journalist Anthony Orendorff’s work focuses on unhoused people, as well as the individuals and families impacted by the ICE raids all over Los Angeles. He started a multimedia series called The People’s Report on Instagram dedicated to showing what is going on in the streets up close. A selection of his videos will be on display for the exhibition.

“The series really started out of rage and love,” Orendorff said. “I was kind of tired of the mainstream media documenting my communities in a way where it’s a lot of trauma, and it feels like it’s so paralyzing. And so, I wanted to make a series dedicated to the people, uplifting our communities, showing the truth, but also showing the real stuff that’s going on and how people can get involved.”

While an artist can never really control how their art is perceived, Orendorff hopes that his work will empower people to engage more with their communities.

“I hope students leave with a sense of autonomy towards their own energy, and if they do feel things from this space, [they have a sense of] where they can get involved and participate in their community,” Orendorff said. “Because people need us yesterday, they need us today, and they’re going to need us tomorrow.”

“We Meet on the Streets” is on view at the CSUN Art Gallery now until March 12 and free to attend.