On Target

On Target was a project of Southern Exposure’s Artists in Education Program called Mission Voices. Three artists, Victor Cartegena, John Leaños and Lexi Leban, worked with youth from Casa de los Jovenes, Horizons Unlimited and Youth in Action on an eight-week collaboration that culminated in an art exhibition and performance. On Target arose from participants desire to respond to anti-youth sentiment and legislation, particularly Proposition 21. The exhibition demonstrated the poignancy of youths’ response to discrimination and referred to the public discourse that marked youth as “deviant” targets of public scrutiny and legislative punishment. Through photography, painting, video and sound installation, the Mission Voices collective attempted to disassemble stereotypes and create understanding by examining how anti-youth sentiment often posits youth as “other” in contemporary society.