Art and Redemption: A Conversation with Chicano Muralist Fabian Debora

Art Works  is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and the National Heritage Awards with a conversation with Chicano muralist and 2024 National Heritage Fellow Fabian Debora. Debora discusses his remarkable journey from growing up in the gang culture of Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, to becoming an acclaimed artist and advocate.  He shares how art became his lifeline during difficult times and the profound influence of the Chicano Mural Movement on his work, highlighting how murals serve as a voice for the voiceless, telling stories of his community with deep compassion and tenderness. 

Debora shares stories of his artistic success, including his large-scale public works like the ceiling mural at LAX. He reflects on his life-long relationship with Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries a pathbreaking gang intervention, rehab and re-entry program where, in 2018, Debora established the Homeboy Art Academy, a space dedicated to healing through the arts for those impacted by gang life and incarceration. Throughout the episode, Fabian emphasizes the power of art to heal, build connections, bring attention to inequalities, and transform lives. He also discusses his ongoing mission to preserve the Chicano mural tradition and ensure that future generations of artists have the tools and support they need to succeed and how receiving the National Heritage Award can help him amplify this. 

Note: You can celebrate the 2024 National Heritage Fellows tonight, Tuesday, September 17 at the Kennedy Center in DC where the NEA will premiere short documentary films about each of the 2024 National Heritage Award recipients, followed by on-stage conversations with each of the Fellows about their culture and art. And tomorrow, Wednesday, September 18 at the Library of Congress, each Fellow will be honored at an awards ceremony.  Both events are free—you can get more information at arts.gov.  And if you’re not in DC, don’t despair--both the film screening and the ceremony will be webcast at arts.gov/heritage.