Belonging / Pertenecer

LA Freewaves with City of Santa Monica’s Art of Recovery

LA Freewaves asked residents and workers to share their answers to our question, “Do you feel you belong here? How? When? and Where? or Sientes que perteneces aquí en Santa Mónica? ¿Cómo? ¿Cuándo? ¿Dónde?  We partnered with the City of Santa Monica Art of Recovery to produce this belonging-focused public art project over eight weeks in the spring of 2024. We collected personal responses at Virginia Ave Park’s farmers market, parks, art and cultural festivals, cultural meetings, parenting classes, on the streets of Santa Monica, Café Bolivar, Santa Monica College, and online.

Humans’ longing for belonging is a fundamental instinct that profoundly influences our lives. The responses on the postcards are below. They reveal intersections of place and identity or what it means to belong or not belong in this everchanging oceanside community. Our analysis of the results is also below.  

An infographic on a baby blue background features the "Belonging / Pertenecer" logo in the top left corner. The main graphic is a simple hot pink seesaw, slightly unbalanced, with the left side higher than the right. On the left, in blue, "58%" is paired with the text "feel they belong in Santa Monica," with three blue bubbles and an upward-pointing arrow pushing the seesaw higher. The bubbles read: "welcome people," "family oriented," and "Public space & recreational amenities (beach, parks, bike lanes)." On the right, in purple, "42%" is paired with the text "feel they do not belong in Santa Monica," with three purple bubbles and a downward-pointing arrow pushing the seesaw lower. The bubbles read: "financially exclusive," "culturally exclusive," and "racially & ethnically exclusive."

Data revealed that Santa Monica is currently a city of contrasts. Three recurring themes emerged:

  1. People either feel that Santa Monica is a very welcoming community or a very exclusive community. Exclusivity had several sub-themes including cultural exclusivity and financial exclusivity.
  2. Safety was a polarizing topic – respondents had a high sense of safety or remarked that they felt very unsafe.
  3. Some longtime residents said they felt like they belonged in Santa Monica because they had always been there, while other longtime residents felt that they did not belong because of displacement, gentrification, and cultural/economic change in Santa Monica.

We used postcards proposing this question and blank space for participants to write answers.  We also added a QR code to a digital survey, stickers, posters, and the Santa Monica City bi-weekly newsletter to gather and disseminate the project.

A SOUND INSTALLATION

The project culminated with a 4-channel sonic installation shared publicly at Virginia Ave Park on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, 10 am-2 pm. The 4-channel sound installation is a dynamic sonic tapestry that weaves together the voices of Santa Monica’s community and its soundscape, responding to the profound questions displayed above in English and Spanish. The rich set of answers blends rhythmic beats, the ambient sounds of Santa Monica’s parks, the hum of the freeway, the energy of the college campus, and the serene waves of the beach. Socially engaged artist Jeanette Degollado executed the project and added live engagement at the event with musician Yovan Rodriguez who designed the audio mix.     

On May 14, 2024, LA Freewaves, represented by Jeanette Degollado, with support from Anne Bray, Sara Daleiden, and Carolina Ibarra-Mendoza, presented the Belonging project to the Santa Monica City Council as part of the City’s Art of Recovery initiative.

Jeanette Degollado outlined the project’s goals and engagement process, which invited Santa Monica residents and workers to respond to the question: “Do you feel you belong here? How? When? Where?”

Over eight weeks, Freewaves collected community perspectives through postcards, QR surveys, and in-person conversations at local parks, cafés, libraries, cultural festivals, and Santa Monica College. The project aimed to explore themes of belonging, identity, and community connection while amplifying a diverse range of voices.

The presentation highlighted the participatory nature of the project, emphasizing the importance of public dialogue in shaping a more inclusive Santa Monica. The event also marked a celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month and AAPI Heritage Month, with Freewaves joining fellow Art of Recovery artists Kalina Silverman and Sung Hee Son in reflecting on creative approaches to community building.

Selfie of Carolina Ibarra-Mendoza, Jeanette Degollado, Anne Bray, and Sara Daleiden smiling in front of the Santa Monica City Hall entrance. It appears to be a windy day, as Anne’s hair blows across her face.

LA Freewaves at Santa Monica City Hall – Jeanette Degollado, Anne Bray, Sara Daleiden, and Carolina Ibarra-Mendoza following their presentation on the Belonging project, part of the City’s Art of Recovery initiative.

City of Santa Monica logo

This project was made possible in part with support from Art of Recovery, an initiative of the City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs, and in partnership with the Housing and Human Services Department and Equity and Inclusion Office.