From our friends at Espita Mezcaleria...
Master Mezcalier/Partner Josh Phillips of Espita Mezcaleria is pleased to announce the news that Yescka, the internationally renowned Oaxacan street artist and founder of the political art collection ASARO (Assembly of Revolutionary Artists of Oaxaca), is heading to the nation’s capital. He will be in Washington, DC from November 13th to the 23rd to create a collection of murals for the Oaxacan-inspired restaurant, which is scheduled to open in early January at 1250 9th Street, NW. As an added bonus, Yescka has graciously agreed to sign a handful of prints that will be available for purchase at Espita Mezcaleria, once the restaurant opens to the public. The prints will be work on paper in a variety of sizes and will be available for purchase with prices ranging from $80 to $500. 100% of the sales from these prints will be donated to the charity student committee of the Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers' College of Ayotzinapa based in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico.
Yescka began his career making graffiti art at the ripe age of 15. In 2002, he went to Benito Juarez School of Fine Arts where he learned how to combine fine arts with street art. Then in 2006, there was a strong social and political movement in Oaxaca, and Yescka saw the importance of communicating about what was happening.
“I wanted to reveal all the violence and our experiences through art,” states Yescka. In 2006, he and a handful of other Oaxaca-based artists founded ASARO, the Assembly of Revolutionary Artists of Oaxaca. They began to use art to criticize the social and political situation and to attempt to reintegrate art into society. “I feel that art right now is standing outside society because it belongs to a limited sector of galleries, intellectuals and museums. I believe, art is for everybody and that’s why we’re trying to create a link, so that the people can get in touch with art in their everyday life again,” explains Yescka.
On September 26, 2014, 43 male students from the Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers' College of Ayotzinapa went missing in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico. According to official reports, the students commandeered several buses and traveled to Iguala that day to hold a protest at a conference led by the mayor's wife. During the journey local police intercepted them and a confrontation ensued. Details of what happened during and after the clash remain unclear, but the official investigation concluded that once the students were in custody, they were handed over to the local Guerreros Unidos ("United Warriors") crime syndicate and presumably killed. Mexican authorities claimed Iguala's mayor, José Luis Abarca Velázquez (es) and his wife María de los Ándeles Pineda Villa, masterminded the abduction. Over the past year, Yescka has created several public pieces to bring the tragedy of these 43 students to public light. Additional information can be found on Yescka’s website at: http://guerilla-art.mx/yescka/.
About Espita Mezcaleria:
Espita Mezcaleria is located at 1250 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20001. The restaurant is located two blocks from the Mt Vernon Square 7th St-Convention Center Metro Station accessible on the Green and Yellow Lines. Dinner will be available Sunday through Thursday, from 5 PM to 1 AM; Friday and Saturday, from 5 PM to 2 AM. Lunch and brunch will begin at a later date. Lunch will be served Monday through Friday, from 11 AM to 5 PM. Brunch will be served Saturday and Sunday, from 10 AM to 5 PM. For reservations or additional information, please visit http://espitadc.com.
