{"id":334382,"date":"2026-05-27T13:22:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T13:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/334382\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T13:22:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T13:22:14","slug":"big-new-berkeley-art-sale-this-sunday-will-benefit-immigrants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/334382\/","title":{"rendered":"Big new Berkeley art sale this Sunday will benefit immigrants"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Richmond-based photographer Carlos Juarez holds a blown-up print of a photo he took on a recent trip to Guatemala. He will be selling his art for the first time during Sunday\u2019s \u201cArt Without Borders\u201d benefit sale for immigrant communities. Courtesy: Carlos Juarez<\/p>\n

Hundreds of local artists are turning their creativity into solidarity this Sunday, donating works for a new art sale at La Pe\u00f1a Cultural Center, raising money for a Berkeley nonprofit that supports immigrant families across the Bay Area.<\/p>\n

Art Without Borders<\/a>, La Pe\u00f1a Cultural Center, Sunday, May 31, 2-5 p.m.<\/p>\n

Called \u201cArt Without Borders,\u201d the art sale will feature about 335 art pieces from around 125 artists, including award-winning creators such as Angela Luna<\/a>, Juan R. Fuentes<\/a> and Dobee Snowber<\/a>. The work includes printmaking, photography, collage, drawings and paintings on paper, with prices ranging from $15 to $200, co-organizer Lisa Kokin said. She said many of the artworks would normally sell at much higher prices.<\/p>\n

The idea emerged months ago, Kokin said, after a local artist donated a piece during a know-your-rights workshop at La Pe\u00f1a.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody wants to do something,\u201d Kokin said. \u201cPeople are upset, angry, sad, and every adjective you can use to describe all the gross violations of human rights that are happening to immigrants and people of color.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Chicano artist Juan R. Fuentes\u2019 linoleum cut print \u201cPaz\u201d is one of the works for sale at the art benefit on Sunday. Courtesy: Lisa Kokin<\/p>\n

The art sale will benefit the Multicultural Institute, founded in 1991, which works primarily with immigrants from Mexico and Central America, including day laborers, low\u2011income families, and youth. It operates in Berkeley, Redwood City, and Richmond. Since President Donald Trump\u2019s return to power, the institute has seen increased need from Bay Area families for legal aid, mutual aid funds and other forms of community support.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Executive Director Mirna Cervantes said the support from artists is especially meaningful at a time of heightened uncertainty for immigrant communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cKnowing that artists are willing to share their work in this way to help create a positive impact in our immigrant communities, gives me hope,\u201d she said in a prepared statement. \u201cTogether we will continue to support immigrant rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some donated works are tributes to artists\u2019 own family migration stories<\/p>\n

Kokin said the featured artwork is varied, from explicit political work to still life, portraits and abstractions. \u201cThe hope is that everyone can find something they\u2019d want to hang in their home or give as a gift,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Among the contributors is Pleasant Hill-based multimedia artist Maritza Ruiz\u2011Kim<\/a>, who is donating \u201cWe Are Home,\u201d a print depicting her mother at age 5 crossing the Rio Grande on a raft pushed by her grandfather.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Artist Maritza Ruiz\u2011Kim is donating \u201cWe Are Home,\u201d a print depicting her mother\u2019s journey to the United States. Courtesy: Lisa Kokin<\/p>\n

The piece features imagery from the U.S. national anthem: the American flag and the phrases \u201cthe land of the free and the home of the brave.\u201d The artwork, she said, is a tribute to her family\u2019s migration story and the sacrifices made to come to the U.S., including when immigration authorities detained her mother and siblings while they were working in the fields. Her mother, then 9, was sent back to Mexico without her parents before eventually returning.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an artist, I have to make things,\u201d Ruiz-Kim said. \u201cI want to tell stories. I hope that when I share my work, it opens their hearts \u2026 gets people to be more empathetic and open their eyes about how policies affect real people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Richmond\u2011based photographer Carlos Juarez, who was born in El Salvador, is contributing a 16-by-20-inch photograph of Lake Atitl\u00e1n in Guatemala. The image, taken on a recent trip with his partner, reflects his connection to Central America and his experience living between cultures in the U.S.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Artist Bushra Gill is donating her artwork \u201cDaffodil Vase,\u201d a Mokuhanga woodcut. Courtesy: Lisa Kokin<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever I\u2019d go back, I wasn\u2019t Salvadoran enough, and here I\u2019m not American enough,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He first heard about the event while tabling at La Pe\u00f1a for Reimagine Richmond during an immigrant rights workshop. Photography has been part of Juarez\u2019s life since childhood, with his parents always having a camera around, and he decided to sell one of his prints for the first time for the benefit sale.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a form of expression, but it\u2019s a form of storytelling as well,\u201d Juarez said. \u201cIt gives exposure depending on the type of artwork; I\u2019m putting the Latino community out there with the image I\u2019m providing.\u201d<\/p>\n

His work in Richmond includes know-your-rights trainings, rapid\u2011response efforts, and policy advocacy. Reimagine Richmond and the Multicultural Institute, he said, helped secure $1 million in city funds for free immigrant legal consultations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Organizers are also encouraging attendees to donate to the Multicultural Institute, which will have a table at the event alongside Friends of La Pe\u00f1a.<\/p>\n

The art sale<\/a> will be held Sunday, May 31, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at La Pe\u00f1a at 3105 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley. The event will feature live music and refreshments.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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