https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsdRTfwpCf0&feature=youtu.be
Diego Martinez’s art has always been the way he’s made sense of the world.
Best known for his creations featuring robots, the El Paso artist is one of the founders of Galería Lincoln. It’s not only an art gallery but also a place for local artists to express themselves and collaborate.
“For me, art in El Paso, it has been over 10 years in the making,” Martinez said. “This space has been years and years of daily drawing and painting and collaboration with my best friend Tino, you know, and so it all kind of just aligned.”
Now, Martinez wants to help others find their own sense of belonging. He’s part of an artistic awareness campaign centered around teen homelessness and survivors of trafficking. The art, projected onto El Paso landmarks such as the Abraham Chavez Theatre and the downtown detention center, is designed to start a conversation.
Martinez says the art he created for the campaign is all about unity.
“It's a robot, and he's actually looking at his heart. He's kind of studying it. And for me, it was like, often times, I've realized that you know, having a big heart has been my biggest strength,” Martinez said. “Sometimes we all just need to look within ourselves and forget kind of like the disconnection that we have between each other…we all have the same heart, we all have the same internal organs. You know, we're all one.”
It’s a message campaign organizers from The El Paso Center For Children hope the community hears loud and clear. Division Director Josue Lachica says it’s about building up the knowledge of available resources to help the community stand strong.
“Why these campaigns are incredibly important is to really build awareness. The reality is, is that all of us in general, have either known someone or know someone currently that's been homeless, or will be homeless,” Lachica said. “The more that people know this exists, whether we're talking about homeless youth, or we're talking about human trafficking, which is an even more hidden population, right, the more people know, the more awareness they have, and more ability to do something.”
The El Paso Center for Children serves over 1,000 families and youth in the El Paso area. The number of youth served has climbed even higher than usual during the pandemic, with the center nearly doubling its pre COVID-19 numbers.
Lachica says homelessness can be hard to spot.
“We think that homelessness is a certain thing, right, living on the street only,” Lachica said. “But most homeless youth are sort of couch-surfing, staying between places, sometimes streets, sometimes cars, sometimes friends, but they don't view themselves as homeless, right? So we always talk about it; when you think you might need any help...call.”
He emphasized contact is always on the caller's terms and help provided can range from emergency shelter to education support and counseling services.
“We have a 24/7 number that you can reach out to. We have our website as well. When you reach out to us, we assess and we figure out what is it that you need, it's all about you,” Lachica said. “It's client-driven, so we're not here to force anyone to do anything. We're here to just help guide.”
Those looking to connect with The El Paso Center For Children can call 915.565.8361 or visit the nonprofit’s website.
