We had the good fortune of connecting with Joshua Ramirez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joshua, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Growing up, I have always had to face and overcome tremendous obstacles. As a first-generation, low-income student with a disability, I faced homelessness as a teen and came from an unstable home. But I turned my pain into purpose, my struggles into strengths, as I challenged myself to rise from the fires of adversity. It was from these ashes that I began to create social justice initiatives that fought injustice, intolerance, and stigma through education and action.

As I got older, I noticed that my depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts had worsened and was subsequently diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder at the age of 19. Now in the hands of medical professionals, I realized that other than medication and therapy, no alternative measures of healing were recommended or subscribed. Through patience and persistence, I challenged myself to go back to school, as I worked 60 hour weeks in order to support my family financially. As I discovered my aptitude for fine art, I initiated and taught classes to marginalized groups, often bilingual (Spanish), empowering them to cope, heal, rediscover and reclaim their cultural or personal identity. Some class examples were: Pottery for those with low or no vision, clay therapy classes for Veterans as well as Women and Children of Day Laborers, Theater for LGBTQ Youth, painting for those afflicted with dementia, art classes for adults and children with Autism, preventative art therapy for those afflicted with mental illness and mentorship(s) for homeless or former incarcerated youth. Because of my hard work ethic and resilience, I was able to attend USC on a full academic scholarship. But I always knew I could do more.

After gradating with an MA in art education, I decided to start my own non-profit (5o1c3). Saint Remy arts and culture, which provides transformative and cultural spaces for individuals with mental illness, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts through the creative process of art and advocacy. In just this past year (2023), we have conducted over 25 visual arts classes and 5 workshops for individuals with mental illness. All free! As the founder and executive director, it is important to provide alternative methods of healing through art, and we have already impacted hundreds of people and gained over 850 followers on Instagram (@saintremyarts) in just 1 year! As our organization continues to grow, we plan to continue our work with the homeless and continue collaborating with other mental health organizations such as NAMI and Tri-City Mental Health.

Biography 150 words

Joshua J. Ramirez is a brown-indigenous social practice artist, museum arts administrator and cultural practitioner that works and resides in Los Angeles County. Using his own mental Illness and disability as a platform for systemic change, he has successfully started his own non-profit that merges advocacy and art. Saint Remy Arts & Culture, provides transformative and cultural spaces for individuals with mental illness, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts through the creative process of art and creation. By leading through the lens of authenticity and empathy, he continues to use his unique experience to mentor at-risk youth, advocate for artists with disabilities, and create social impact programming for traditionally underrepresented communities. He currently sits on the board of NAMI Pomona Valley and advises national and local organizations such as: Americans for the Arts, NEA, MOMA, Department of Cultural Affairs-Los Angeles, California Arts Council & Tri-City Mental Health.
He has a BA in art from the University of Southern California and an MA in art education. He currently works in Youth Development Programs at the J. Paul Getty Center in Los Angeles.

Artist Statement 150 Words

Intentional in his own practice, Joshua explores the complexity of the human condition, exploring themes of abandonment, past childhood trauma, and working-class race relations in the United States through photography, sculpture, and painting. Viewing photography as a catalyst for social change, he uses the lens to elevate the voices of invisible communities, using it as a weapon against discrimination, poverty, and class divide. By developing his own unique visual language, his sculpture utilizes found objects and working-class materials such as tar, concrete, and metal to reveal cultural alienation and the fragility of the human spirit. Both abstract and expressive, his paintings use color to express deep emotional trauma, with delicate yet vulnerable brushwork. Joshua continues to create art that inspires us to rise above our circumstances and elicit positive social change; with a vision of continually uplifting the vision and voices of the LatinX and BIPOC communities.

Awards and Fellowships:

Norman Topping Scholar
McNair Research Scholar
Maxine King Scholarship
Bernard Osher Scholarship
Dr. Juan Lara Scholar UCI- HTCC California Student of the Year-2012
President / Deans List, USC
National Merit Scholar Presidential Scholar
UCLA, NADC Individual Artist Grant 2020 & 2021
Latino Alumni Association Merit Scholar
UCLA, Semel Institute Art & Visibility Artist of the Year 2023
NALAC Advocacy Leadership Institute Fellow 2023

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
As agents of change, it is important to create non-profit organizations that are community centered and developed with immediacy, empathy, and understanding. Yet, as I look to redefine and reimagine the world of arts and culture and my evolving role within it, at its core, our work holds the following values:

-To listen deeply and authentically.
-To uplift the vision and voices of neglected and ignored communities with genuine understanding & compassion.
-To hold space and respect for all viewpoints through discussion and inquiry.
-To broaden awareness and perspective through education and connection.
-Create impactful opportunities for change.

This is what sets us apart from other organizations, since we make art accessible and free to all, since art has the power to heal. There is still so much work to be done, such as breaking the stigma on mental illness. Yet, we are inspired by all the outward support of not only the mental health community and organizations such as NAMI and Tri-City mental health, but by the growing community that we have continued to foster and create. However, there is still a huge and unfilled need for these services and no one in filling this unmet need, except us. We have had hundreds of people and dozen of organizations reach to us, and the biggest challenge is to met this need.

Our hope this year, is to open our first space and create our first gallery show that promotes artists with mental illness. This space will hold daily classes, an artist in residence and the sale and promotion of artwork. In addition, we are working on creating our first ever art fair called the: Non-Profit Art Fair that directly promotes the artwork of non-profit orgs and non-traditional artists. We have so many big things planned, but don’t just take it from me, here are some participant quotes below:

Participant Quotes:

1. Participant 8: “After my first class I fell asleep and did not wake up until mid-morning
the next day. I honestly slept like a baby. For someone who has trouble sleeping, this
was the first time I slept well all year”.

2. Participant 4: “I find it very difficult to communicate with my therapist. So, he said draw
out what I feel. But I can’t draw, so I stopped going to therapy. This class is helping me
with that, so I went back to my therapist and showed him my journal. He encouraged
me to continue with the class, because it’s helping me get better”.

3. Participant 7: “I came to class today full of anxiety, but I completely forgot about my
anxiety during the drawing and painting process. I feel free of it for the first time, in a
long time, I definitely will be coming back”!

4. Participant 5: “This class has been making me feel better. I now have something to look
forward to. I also found that it has been helping me with my depression, and especially
after my baby was born, I told my doctor it has been helping me deal with my post-partum depression. It has also helped me with my motivation”.

5. Participant 5: “This class is my time to relax and reconnect with myself. It has kept me
motivated and helps me with my anxiety; it has helped me to remain calm”.

6. Participant 5: “This class has helped me look at things in a different way, especially
myself. I love learning about art now”! “This class has uplifted my mood”!

7. Participant 1: “This has been a rewarding experience. I feel happy, joyful and positive for
the first time in a while”; and after the first class, I slept very well”.

8. Participant 6: “It is hard for me to connect with my emotions, but I now smile on the
inside. This class and you has helped me to better understand how to connect my
feelings and emotions. In other words, I can now connect my heart to my brain”.

9. Participant 5 & 7: “This class has helped me so much; it is close or better than therapy”.

10. Participant 5 & 7: “This has been the best coping tool I have ever had. This is essential
in my journey toward recovery”.

11. Participant 7: “I find myself looking at the world in a more creative way. I find myself
looking at objects and art more often, and it has inspired me to look more within myself.
I feel I now have some sort of healthy coping mechanism”.

12. Participant 1: “Drawing does help me. My mind is more open. Art is good for my soul”.

13. Participant 7: “I feel happier, especially not to focus on work or my illness. I get to learn
and about different artists and create my own art. I know it’s not therapy, and just art,
but it has been therapeutic for me”.

14. Participant 1, 5, 7, 9: “This class has helped me with my anxiety and depression. I feel
safe here. I feel connected with others on a social emotional level”.

15. Participant 5, 7, 9: “We find ourselves wanting to create more. We have the urge to not
only make art, but use it as a coping tool to help manage our emotions”

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate this story to my wife, my partner and my best friend Tiffany, and for her unconditional love, support and patience.

Instagram: @saintremyarts

Other: Email: Joshua@saintremy.org Donations: Venmo-@saintremyarts Paypal: Joshua@saintremy.org

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.