Always Relevant: Luis Del Valle's Art Activism

This piece is a tribute to the enduring brilliance of black youth, their strength, innocence, and the radiant light they carry into the world. Framed by bold, hopeful strokes and vibrant color, the child’s gaze invites us to reflect on legacy, love, and liberation. #TheLightWeCarry #JuneteenthExhibition #BlackArtToday #NeimanMarcus #BlackArtists #ArtThatHeals #HonorTheLigh

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César Chávez was a Mexican American labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) union. He is best known for leading nonviolent protests to improve wages and working conditions for farmworkers in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s.

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James Baldwin was an African American writer, essayist, and activist known for his powerful works on race, identity, and social justice. His books, such as The Fire Next Time and Go Tell It on the Mountain, explored the Black experience in America and challenged racial inequality.

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CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY 🎉🎈

Congressional Gold Medal by President Obama.

Very happy with the outcome of this painting. It was an honor to paint this beautiful love story of Mr. and Mrs. Lane. She was a devoted educator who planted seeds of hope, knowledge, and inspiration in the hearts of her students, shaping their futures and leaving a lasting impact on generations to come. He was a true hero, a World War II veteran awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Obama for his bravery and service. Together, their legacy speaks to the power of dedication, courage, and the transformative influence of education and sacrifice.

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With my painting “The Face of War." An artist duty, as far as I’m concerned is to reflect the times” Nina Simone

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Luis Del Valle pictured with his portrait of Frida Kahlo the artist revolutionary.

Artist Bio

Award winning artist, Luis Peralta Del Valle was born in Nicaragua in 1980 and migrated to the U.S. in 1985. At the age of 13 he started painting graffiti murals in the District, Maryland and Virginia. A few years later at Bell Multicultural High School he began his formal artistic education, continuing his studies at the Corcoran College of Art and Design.

In 2013 Luis was selected as the winner of the East of the River Distinguished Artist Award. That year he was also a finalist for the District of Columbia 28th Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards. These accomplishments preceded the presentation of the National Museum of Catholic Art and Library National Artist Award by Prince Lorenzo Maria De Medici in 2014, and his selection as the artist commissioned for the 2015 Beijing / District of Columbia Sister Cities Project. The latter project resulted in a panda statue painted by Del Valle that was given to the Mayor of Beijing as a state gift from Mayor Muriel Bowser. Del Valle is also the recipient of the 2015 National Museum of Catholic Art and Library Portrait Award. In 2017 Luis was honored with the NCIS Director’s Coin by NCIS director, Andrew L. Traver.

Luis received his first commission from the fitness franchise Body by Jake after his 16th birthday. Since then he has been commissioned by other businesses, foundations, public institutions, museums and private collectors to create murals, portraits, sculptures, and paintings of various themes. Luis has exhibited his works at various museums and institutions including; NCIS headquarters, V.A., The Embassy of Italy, The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, The Historical Society of Washington DC, The Vatican Embassy, and the Frederick Douglass­Isaac Myers Museum in Baltimore, MD.

Contact: collector@lovehopeart.com , Instagram