Keep Going, Keep Growing - The Soni López-Chávez Episode

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For many artists, the COVID-19 pandemic has delivered an absolutely devastating blow to the creative arts scene. In a profession already often filled with highs, lows, and hardship, even in the best of times, the pandemic and the subsequent economic shutdowns over the past several months have been an absolutely devastating obstacle for many artists, musicians, and creators to overcome. San Diego’s creative art scene, of course, has been no exception to this alarming trend. Particularly Barrio Logan’s art and cultural district, whose artists and creatives have taken a disproportionate hit over the past several months. With many galleries, studios, and music venues still shuttered, artists in the neighborhood have been cut off from the events and spaces they’ve relied upon in the past to showcase their art and bring in a steady income. While virtually all artists having been forced to adapt to these new sets of challenges and circumstances over the past several months, ingenuity and inspiration in the era of COVID-19 have manifested an explosion of creativity and innovation in a variety of unexpected ways. And perhaps no one has utilized this time as creatively and meticulously as local artist and co-owner of La Bodega Gallery owner Soni López-Chávez. Since March, Soni has embarked on an ongoing art series of digital art pieces highlighting a wide variety of subject matter. From the plight of street vendors, the Black Lives Matter Movement, immigrant rights, Indigenous sovereignty, women’s rights, mental health awareness as well as LGBT issues. While the series covers a wide variety of different topics and causes, the overall encompassing themes all revolve around the empowerment of marginalized and vulnerable communities. While all of these struggles have existed for decades, the pandemic has brought many of these issues to a head and at the forefront of the public’s attention. In today’s episode, we had the opportunity to speak with Soni about her series and how she’s used her time during the pandemic to bring awareness through her art. With that said, we hope you all enjoy our interview with Soni López-Chávez.