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Artivist Leonor Anthony

Introduction to Leonor Anthony. 1:23 min. Interview: Raymond Elman. Editing & Production: Carlos Castillo. Music: Carmen Cicero. Recorded via Zoom: 9/4/2020, Milan, Italy

LEONOR ANTHONY is a multi-disciplinary artist and activist based in Miami. Born in Havana, Cuba, she immigrated to the United States with her family as a young child. She is an accredited scholar, artist, photographer, and published author. Anthony is well-known for her courageous use of materials and for creating works that engage controversial issues.

She is recognized for using art as a vehicle of activism. She explores limitless styles, materials, and assertiveness — characterized by violently expressive color and jarring compositions. Through these elements, Anthony is able to bring awareness to issues that include immigration, women’s empowerment, and environmental preservation, The imagery of her art is crafted through her unflinching willingness to elicit emotional reactions. Her intense but sophisticated style is a reflection of the artist’s unending search for freedom of expression and penchant towards iconoclasm.

Anthony co-authored Sounds of Freedom with photographer Roberto Polillo.

The videos below were recorded via Zoom and are organized by topic and run between 30 seconds and 6 minutes. Click on any video. You must be connected to the Internet to view the videos.

CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 0:26 min.

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On your website you refer to yourself as an “artivist.” Did you invent that term, and what does it mean?

INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 1:44 min.

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Where did you grow up and what was your earliest memory of art of any discipline?

PERSEVERANCE FURTHERS: 1:50 min.

You don’t have a Spanish accent. Did you train yourself to speak “American English,” or did it happen naturally?

SELF-CONFIDENCE: 0:48 sec.

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Did your move to the United States impact your visual sense?

OVERCOMES CHALLENGES TO SUCCEED: 0:48 sec.

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I assume you were studying art when you attended Auburn University.

DEVELOP A VOICE: 0:44 sec.

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I assume you were studying art when you attended Auburn University.

CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND : 4:35 min.

Since you didn’t go to art school, what was the evolution of your engagement with the art world?

CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 1:30 min.

Do you have a principal gallery that represents you now?

STRONG DRIVE FOR ACHIEVEMENT: 2:22 min.

How did you connect with art scholar Carol Damian, and when did she become a champion of your work?

INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 5:51 min.

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How did you get inspired to create the “Sounds of Freedom,” and what was the collaboration with photographer Roberto Polillo like?

EMPATHY: 0:45 sec.

During the era of Segregation in America, Black musicians were welcomed and celebrated in Europe.

OVERCOMES CHALLENGES TO SUCCEED: 1:54 min.

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Describe a challenging situation with a successful outcome.

COMMUNITY VALUES 1:16 min.

Putting on your “artivist” hat, what are some of the topics or themes in your work?

SEIZES OPPORTUNITIES: 1:07 min.

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How did your book, “Sounds of Freedom,” get into the hands of the Obamas?

INSIGHT & INSPIRATION : 3:18 min.

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What is your favorite movie?

CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 4:32 min.

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What are you working on now?

CRITICAL THINKING: 1:43 min.

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What do you find most interesting about the Miami art community

SEIZES OPPORTUNITIES: 1:11 min.

What are your thoughts about the recent development of art exhibition space in Allapattah?

EXPOSURE TO BROAD INFLUENCES: 1:37 min.

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Tell me about the influence of Frank Stella on your work.