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Edwin Gil (11 December, 1971) is a contemporary Colombian visual artist living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is the owner of Gil Gallery and founder of the nonprofit Gil Project, Inc.

Early Life and Education

Edwin Gil was born in Itaguí, Antioquia, Colombia, to Rosa Amelia Correa and Conrado Gil. He is the oldest of six siblings, having one brother and four sisters. The young Gil was surrounded by art from an early age, as his grandfather was a musician, and his aunts and uncles were painters. Gil started working at a young age serving lunch to construction workers, and he also worked as a security guard and in a factory that manufactured dividers for bottles in boxes. Later, he decided he wanted to go to college, and his mentor Gustavo Giraldo advised him to study business administration. So he went to the Universidad Bolivariana in Medellín. He then obtained a Masters in organizational psychology from the EAFIT University (Technical Institute of Business Administration and Finance), also in Medellín, which he uses in some of his more recent art series, such as “New Horizons: Rorschach Test.”

Art Exhibitions and Series

New Horizons: Upcycling (2012) Gil’s Upcycling series focuses on using recycled glass to create new art. The inspiration for this particular project came from a visit to the home of his mentor, Paul Thompson, owner of Coffey and Thompson art gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina. Upon discovering some unused glass in Mr. Thompson’s barn, Gil got the idea for his next project. He would upcycle the old glass to transform it into new, beautiful art, by cutting and painting the glass himself. His works depict famous North Carolinians and other famous people from history, such as Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg, after whom the city and county were named; Andrew Jackson; Michael Jordan; and Dale Earnhardt.

Through the Eye of Art (2012) This series is divided into four parts: red, blue, green and yellow. It allows for local artists to showcase their talents by relating their work to the corresponding color. Paintings, photography, music, dancing, theatre, and poetry are among some of the artistic media featured in these events.

Flag of Hope (2011) This project allowed Gil and his team to travel to twelve cities to collect a total of 10,000 handprints of North Carolina residents, a feature that is unique for every individual. The goal was to promote dialogue about diversity among immigrant and nonimmigrant communities across the state.

Our Flag, Our Country, Our Home (2008-2010) The goal for this project was to unite displaced Colombians living outside of their homeland. Gil collected handprints in red, yellow, and blue, the colors of the Colombian flag, to show unity and solidarity among Colombians who left their country to escape violence and loss of loved ones, to improve their lives and those of their children. Edwin was inspired to do this project while in the process of another project, Home Sweet Home. Edwin asked children from the Charlotte school system to draw their interpretation of “home.” One child’s answer surprised him. The child was born in the United States to Colombian parents, but had never been to Colombia. Yet he still said that Colombia was his home. Edwin decided to collect handprints and signatures of Colombians living throughout the world to be placed on a giant canvas to eventually form a flag. After traveling to 13 US cities, he traveled to France, Spain, and other places in Europe where Colombia has a strong presence. Afterwards, once the canvas was finished, Gil took the canvas to Colombia and presented it to Álvaro Uribe, who was president at that time. Our Flag, Our Country, Our Home shows that, no matter where people are in the world, they never forget their roots.

Home Sweet Home (2008) This project came to be after Gil pondered the origin of the phrase “Home Sweet Home,” and he wanted to create a mural showcasing the different Latino and Hispanic populations that now call the United States home, using the US flag as a background. For him, “home” is where one feels comfortable, surrounded by family and friends. He asked Latino and Hispanic children to first paint the thirteen stripes on the mural, to show that they are also part of the fabric of this country. Then, another group of Latino and Hispanic children painted the fifty stars, showing that they are dispersed all around the country. There is also a house with bricks containing the different flags of Latin American countries from which the families emigrated to improve their lives.

Gil Project, Inc. In 2011, Gil founded Gil Project, Inc, a nonprofit organization that seeks to empower communities by bridging cultural gaps through the arts.

Programs

Quilting Differences Quilting Differences is a program that seeks to bridge gaps among different cultural groups through art workshops, initiatives, and interviews. The initiatives are led by Gil and singer/songwriter Ana Lucía Divins. Through the workshops and initiatives, participants learn through creative expression about social change, hope, community building, and diversity. In one program, Construyendo País (Building Country), Gil presented at the sixth annual Colombian Student and Professional Conference at Cornell University in March and April of 2012. In this phase of the project, Gil asked participants what they felt that they could do to make a difference for Colombia while living abroad. The main answers to these questions included highlighting the positive aspects of Colombia to share with the world and educating the less fortunate in Colombia to promote upward mobility to improve society as a whole. The next phase of the project was a bit more global, in which Gil interviewed people living in thirteen different countries, including France, England, and the US to name a few. The purpose of this phase of the project was to see how childhood memories and favorite colors shape each participant, giving each person a different perspective on themselves and the world around them. He also asked what diversity meant to them, to show that we all may have different life experiences, but in reality we are all working toward accomplishing our goals and contributing effectively to society.

Painting for Diversity The inaugural Painting for Diversity event was held in May of 2012 at ImaginOn. This is an annual project that asks children in kindergarten through fifth grade in different cities and towns across North Carolina to paint the meaning of diversity. Past participants include children from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system, the Guilford County school system, and the Governor Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh. A contest is hosted, and five children from each city are selected to participate in the exhibition in the spring.

Con A de Arte (A is for Art) Con A de Arte is an annual event hosted by Art Sí Charlotte. Art Sí (Art Yes), which Gil co-founded, is a community initiative that gives support for Latinos in Mecklenburg County to establish themselves in the arts. It aims to connect them to valuable resources, give them opportunities, and to break down the cultural, language, and financial barriers that Latinos face. Their main event is Con A de Arte, held in the summer each year. Over the last eight years, more than 6,000 people have come to support this initiative that showcases Latino artists in many different media: photography, visual art, filmmaking, poetry, live music, theatre, and dance.

History When Gil arrived in Charlotte in 2000, he had the opportunity to work with his cousin Fernando Fernandez at Coffey and Thompson Fine Art in uptown. At that time, there was not much representation of Latino art and culture in Charlotte. As he continued to establish himself, he met Conchy Farrell, who worked with the Charlotte Public Library. The two decided to create a Hispanic art and culture week in Charlotte so that local residents could learn more about the Latino art scene, with visual art, poetry, dance, music, theatre, and much more. They had many limitations at that time, including lack of funding, which artists to invite, how to promote it, and where to host the event. After three years, Gil finally received a call from Farrell that the public library wanted to support him, so that he could create the inaugural Con A de Arte event at the beginning of 2003. Farrell created the name, and Gil painted the logo in a half hour after being asked for a photo to include in the Charlotte Public Library monthly magazine. The event is now held in June every year.

Arte Latino Now This initiative is a partnership between Gil Project, Inc and Queens University of Charlotte. It is sponsored by the Center for Latino Studies in partnership with the Department of Art and Foreign Languages and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. This gives Latino artists the chance to show what it means to be Latino through the medium they choose.

Awards

Gil was the recipient of the Latino of the Year award from Agencia EFE, and the Premio Huella Colombiana, an award given to Colombians who advocate for their countrymen living abroad.