IDA’s Visiting Artist, Favianna Rodriguez, taught a class this Spring titled ‘Show Me Your PAPERS: Immigration, Youth, Print-Making & Story-Telling For Social Change.’ Rodriguez does printmaking because she believes that printmaking is a medium “that is very apt for making political artwork.” In general, as an artist, she believes that “art and culture is essential to any social justice movement.” Immigration policies, in particular, have interested Rodriguez because her parents are migrants. In our recent interview, she mentioned that she “witnessed really harsh immigration policies being passed since [she] was a teenager.” According to Rodriguez, the United States is heading down a path of anti-immigration, a path against which printmaking can advocate. Through lectures, research and interviews, Rodriguez ensured that the students had a good understanding of the topic of immigration in this country, including the different debates and policies. The students were then able to create their own pieces using printmaking that portrayed a message about the current immigrant rights movement. To summarize her students’ accomplishments this quarter, Rodriguez states, “It’s not just an art piece that is made in isolation from the politics and the political climate; it’s very much relevant to what is happening today.” This summer, Favianna Rodriguez will be traveling a lot and finishing her upcoming graphic novel titled Ghost of the River.

**Favianna's students' work will be on display at the Harmony House from June 5 - 22, 2012**