Targum spotlight: Celebrating Latinx Arts & Works fosters artistic community

Celebrating Latinx Arts and Works (CLAW) is an on-campus organization that brings together Latino students at Rutgers who are interested in various art disciplines.

Founded in 2018, CLAW offers students the opportunity to meet and network with other Latino artists on campus in a safe space, according to its getINVOLVED page.

Samantha Carhuaricra, a School of Art and Sciences junior and the president of CLAW, said the club meets monthly and hosts events throughout the semester. Monthly meetings discuss different Latino artists across disciplines, including film, music and fashion.

"We hope that our members that join CLAW or are currently a part of CLAW can actually get in touch with their roots and their heritage through art," she said.

Carhuaricra said the organization suffered some setbacks during and after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic but is now looking to reinstate itself around campus. She said she feels such a space is crucial for Latino students who may not receive the same support in their homes.

"I used to be a film major, and being raised as a Latina, (identifying) as Latina, growing up in a Latinx household, it wasn't a very supportive environment," she said.

She added that she had difficulty finding a community at Mason Gross School for the Arts. Cuarharicra said this same sentiment leads many fellow Latino art students to join CLAW.

Carhuaricra said that art is important to Latino people and can act as a representation of Hispanic culture to the world. She said from music to handcrafted apparel, Latino people are well-known for their work in the arts.

Apart from being an opportunity for artists to network, Carhuaricra said CLAW seeks to help students explore their artistic interests without judgment and is open to all students, even if they do not identify as Latino.

She also said CLAW serves as a stepping stone for students to be Latino leaders on campus, as it is affiliated with the Center for Latino Arts and Culture (CLAC).

Looking back at her own time with the organization, Carhuaricra said her favorite memory was when the CLAC awarded CLAW the "Best Comeback of the Year" distinction.

"That was very significant for us as an organization, to know that we have put a lot of effort into events and promoting. And our presence has garnered attention," she said. "We are definitely coming out of the shadows, and we're really trying to come back."

In the past, the organization has held "paint and sip" and de-stress nights. This semester, CLAW plans on hosting trips to museums and a fashion show.

For Hispanic Heritage Month, CLAW will hold an event titled "Lighting up the CLAC," in which students can decorate luminarias, which are paper lanterns lit by candles, and place them in front of the CLAC building on the College Avenue campus.

"(The CLAC) is a home ... It's a hub for all of us (who), like myself, were kind of lost in this process and just want to get back in touch with their Latinx heritage and their identity," Carhuaricra said.

Carhuaricra hopes that CLAW can allow students to reconnect with their artistic side and gain cultural awareness. She believes harnessing these feelings will increase organization membership and improve retention.

"I think trying to learn more about (art) is a way to honor and preserve your heritage," Carhuaricra said.