LUIZA FOLEGATTI
NORTH ADAMS, 2024 - 2025
Luiza Folegatti is a Brazilian artist based in North Adams (USA). Previously, she spent five years in Berlin (Germany) integrating artistic practice, teaching, and social advocacy work around the rights of women migrants. Her work focuses on gender and migration, and she applies photography, video, performance, and visual anthropology methods. Luiza strongly believes in the positive impact generated by projects that combine photography, education, and community building. She has taught photography at HMKW Berlin (Germany) and Bennington College (USA), besides facilitating photography workshops for several non-profits supporting immigrants. Currently she is producing a photo essay about mothers and daughters in the Berkshires and their experiences with migration.
COMMUNITY PROJECT
During the past few months with AAW, Luiza developed arts programming for immigrant mothers residing in the Berkshires. Building on her previous work with the Berkshire Immigrant Center, and now in collaboration with Latinas 413, they have organized mother- daughter photography sessions, photography exhibitions, and a workshop to map and discuss resources for immigrant mothers. These materials will be used for creating a handout for advocating for immigrant rights within the region. Luiza hopes to strengthen the connection between immigrant mothers and local support, to highlight the work already done by latina community leaders, and to educate the broader community about specific challenges faced by immigrant families.
ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERs
In 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, when isolation was a threat to our natural human connectedness, Liliana Atanacio Garcia spearheaded a call to all Latino females living in the Berkshires who wanted to create a virtual networking space as a meeting point where Latinas could honor & share their immigrant stories. Latinas’ sorority fostered in this perfect moment a sense of community. Almost 200 Latinas shared their journey, success, interests, and goals. Our first action as Latinas413 was to support Latino families who were struggling due to the pandemic. In 2021, Latinas413 raised and distributed $6100. The network evolved to become a Nonprofit, by June 2021, Latinas413 was a project fiscally sponsored by the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires. By 2022, Latinas413's mission aims to empower Latino women in all their roles, as heads of households, business women, entrepreneurs, and professionals by providing them with resources, and networking opportunities. Latinas413 currently offers a range of programs throughout the year, including webinars, workshops, book club (círculo de lectura), hikes, camping, arts, & celebrations of our heritage in different cultural events. The organization created the first bi-lingual Mentorship Program in the Berkshires, setting standards of leadership, unity and professionalism.The Mentorship Program of Latinas413 has awarded nearly $20, 000 in financial support and Scholarships.``Yo soy Arte'' (I am art) project and band have been establishing leadership and advocacy for local Latino artists in Berkshire county. Representation of the Latino community means embracing 21 countries, with thousands of different ethnicity with their own languages and culture. Going beyond our vision means advocating for language inclusion & cultural humility. In 2023, Latinas413’ team surveyed and created a new collection of 150 books in Spanish in collaboration with Berkshire Athenaeum Library in Pittsfield. Thriving for unity, fostering belonging and leading with dignity. 2024 - Latinas413, Inc.
The mission of the Berkshire Immigrant Center is to advocate for the rights of all immigrants by helping them navigate the complex U.S. immigration system with affordable legal services, local resources, and education. Berkshire Immigrant Center provides its clients with tools to help them overcome financial and cultural barriers, with the goals of strengthening civic engagement and creating equal opportunity for all.The Center assists more than 800 individuals annually from more than 60 countries in several languages. Our Case Workers are accredited by the Department of Justice to represent clients on US Citizenship and Immigration Services visa applications and give legal advice to those seeking immigration benefits in the US and education on civil rights.