According to Contreras, he only touched the footage from the murals a year later. The thought of creating a film never crossed the mind of the Fresno native. Mural by mural, Contreras was on scene with the artists and community members, recording the process of the creation of the murals with his camera. The final product was “The Lift Every Voice” mural tour.
Through donations such as paint, money and time from participating artists, murals started blooming in Fresno. Ome Quetzal Lopez, a local activist and co-founder of DulceUpfront, pitched the idea to DJ Kay Rich to create a mural to bring the Black Lives Matter Movement in Fresno. It was almost like we didn’t have a choice.” “We were so moved by what we were seeing as young Black people. “We actually planned that protest in less than 48 hours,” said Jackson, former Fresno State Associated Students Inc. Locally, on May 31, 2020, the Fresno State NAACP and community members held a peaceful demonstration in Downtown Fresno to voice their frustration with the unjust murder of George Floyd. The birth of the mural tour derived from the Black Lives Matter Movement, a nationwide protest to call attention to racism and discrimination against Black people. They also explained the complications of working with the City of Fresno to organize the Black Lives Matter protest. Shortly after the premiere of the film, a panel discussion with Contreras, Caleb Duarte, Audia Yvonne Dixon, Paige Mason and D’Aungillique Jackson, led by DJ Kay Rich, talked about the importance of Black women representation in the Central Valley.
“Art is a weapon, a weapon of protesting, but also a weapon to heal, especially during that time in American history,” Contreras said. Led by Dulce Upfront and DJ Kay Rich, 66 local artists painted 14 murals in Fresno and advocated for social justice through the arts. The 25-minute film showcased the creation of “The Lift Every Voice” mural tour. Samuel Contreras, Fresno State professor and documentary filmmaker, premiered his latest film, “Art Is Our Weapon,” at Maya Cinema, filling up a 200-seat auditorium, on Feb. “Art Is Our Weapon” premiered at Campus Pointe’s Maya Cinemas on Feb.
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