Photo by Christo Oropeza
Fred Alvarado was born in Chicago, IL, grew up in Long Beach, CA., and received his Undergraduate Degree at the San Francisco Art Institute. Currently, he is completing his Graduate Degree in San Francisco at the California College of the Arts, with an emphasis in Social Practices. Fred also works for the Precita Eyes Mural Arts Center in their Youth Program in S.F.’s Mission District. Some of the latest projects he has worked on include Kerry James Marshall’s 2009 “Visible Means of Support” which was commissioned by SFMOMA and he directed SFMOMA’s youth mural at DeFremery Park in Oakland. He also teaches art at McKinley Elementary School (K-5).
When we met up with Fred, he talked about his most recent work involving creating his “STICK EM UP” sticker club. In “STICK EM UP”, people of all ages and all different backgrounds (including CCA students) are encouraged to join as Members. The requirements: Make three stickers everytime you meetup – the first to keep for yourself, a second to trade with someone else in the club, and a third for “STICK EM UP” to keep for documentation. The idea is that members install their stickers anywhere they would like, and then take a photo and list the described location in order to document and map. The sticker club takes field trips to places where communities do not have creative outlets, and sets up shop – encouraging people and helping them develop their ideas into stickers. In essence, the “STICK EM UP” sticker club is a public art program that encourages participation from everyday people and brings their art to the masses.
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