Today we’d like to introduce you to Selina Calvo
Hi Selina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Sacramento, California. I eventually made my way down to San Diego in 2004. At that time, I was 21 years old and really was just trying to find myself. I had moved into a small studio with my boyfriend, who I would eventually marry, and had enrolled in City Community College. It was at City where I had started to find my organizing voice and became a community organizer. Along with organizing, I also started to explore my art. Growing up I always had art around me. My father, who is also an artist, would teach me little techniques in watercolor and acrylic painting. In addition, I dabbled in ceramics and black and white photography. So once I made it out to San Diego, I was inspired by the chicano and border arts community. By combining my loves in community organizing, activism, and art I had the opportunity to show my work in local spaces like The Centro Cultural de la Raza, Voz Alta, The Front, The Spot, La Bodega, and Chican@ Art Gallery to name a few.
Over time, and as I’ve grown and evolved, I have had some amazing experiences from helping revitalize my community of Paradise Hills and co-founding the community group ProjectREO, to being a teaching artist at A Reason to Survive, to now being a part of an amazing woman’s group XoQUE: Art in Motion where we create site specific art with local communities thus amplifying and empowering their voices through murals, instillations, and art exhibitions.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being a community organizer, activist, and artist is never an easy journey. On a personal level, there has been peeks and valleys. Times of great movement and impact to times of stillness and reflection.
For instance, In community college I was part of a student organization called Resistencia Estudiantil. We helped in organizing marches and know your rights campaigns for undocumented community members. We also helped in La Gran Marcha which was held up in L.A. in 2006 where it was estimated that 500,000 people participated in the march protesting HR4437. But, by the time I was finishing up my college career at UCSD I became pregnant with my first child and soon stepped back from organizing and creating art. I instead focused on caring for my growing family.
Eventually, as my children got older, my husband and I started to become active in our community of Paradise Hills. Ourselves, along with other community members created the community group ProjectREO and started to revitalize our local street of Reo Drive. We did this by creating community murals, hosting movie nights, and eventually creating family friendly events like Trunk or Treat and Holiday in the Hills. We even went as far as opening up a local coffee shop with 4 other local families called Project Reo Collective and would host art shows, Open Mic events, have musicians perform, and host a Community Wellness Series. Unfortunately the pandemic hit, and as we all know, the whole world just shut down. As the pandemic progressed, we eventually shut down the coffee shop, and retired ProjectREO. Taking time to have self care and really caring for our family.
As the world started to reopen , and we all came out of our pandemic slumber, I found myself trying to figure out my purpose again. It was really a time of major self reflection and reinvention. During the pandemic, I had the opportunity to become a part of this amazing woman’s group called XoQUE: Art in Motion. We were a group of woman who have come together from vastly different backgrounds and experiences. We all have had life experiences and art experiences to bring to the table. We have woman who are PHD Art Therapists, who are tattoo artists, who are self taught and just beautiful human beings . As a group we have had the amazing opportunity to show work at the Centro Cultural Tijuana, University of San Diego, and The Front. We also have done murals at San Diego State and Chicano Park and soon SBCS in Chula Vista.
As my journey continues, I have found that the peeks and valleys are a blessing and in the ups and downs, nothing is permanent. We just always have to keep striving for growth.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a Community Organizer, Artist, and Activist. I have had the opportunity to work in and around San Diego using my talents. More specifically, I have done community organizing in my community of Paradise Hills, advocating for community needs at City Council while also helping revitalize our community street of Reo Drive with community activities and art interventions. I have also had the opportunity to share these experiences of revitalizing of spaces with youth at A Reason to Survive in National City with their Community by Design classes which I co-taught with my husband in 2021 and 2022. In this program our students, along with local markets, helped create art interventions that revitalized the market spaces.
More recently, I have worked on varies workshops, art installations and murals with the woman’s group XoQUE which Im most proudest of. Along with my artist sisters, I have been able to bring together all my talents. Weither we are hosting community workshops dedicated on healing by using art therapy, or creating a mural for a community that highlights their story, being a part of this group has been such a gift.
What’s next?
My life long dream is to become a full time artist and organizer. For years I have been juggling doing what I love of being an artist and organizer and working at Costco. I have been fortunate enough of working with the company for 22 years and having a schedule that has allowed me to have the flexibility to pursue my passions on the side. However, as I get older, and the ware and tear of the work has started to take a toll on my body because I work in morning merchandising, It would be nice to retire early and really focus on things that bring me joy. So the plan, if life permits, is to retire after putting 25 years in the company, and doing commission work and whatever comes my way in organizing full time. Lets see.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.xoque-artinmotion.com/
- Instagram: @littleselin
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/selina.lugo
Image Credits
Selina Calvo
Enrique Lugo
Adam Straubinger
