lydia see / CoCo Villa

Artists play an indispensable role as cultural translators within community. Through Engaging Collections, a residency and publication at the intersections of art + equity with libraries, archives, and special collections, lydia see works with creatives to use their art practice as a tool to affect change and reframe the past, the present, and the future. This talk will focus on how art can uplift underrepresented legacies, contribute to justice movements, and transform lives, and how this process diverges from the established frameworks of the art industry and library science practices. The Body as Archive Coco Villa is a self portraiture photographer and multidisciplinary artist. Their work integrates their exploration of identity + culture, familial history, and the pursuit of pleasure through sustainable fashion design, dance, photography, and film.