Fabian Debora, founder and executive director of the Homeboy Art Academy, was selected as a 2024 National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellow, one of the nation's highest honors in folk and traditional arts, officials announced Monday.
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An alumnus of Homeboy Industry -- the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world, headquartered in Los Angeles - - Debora is one of ten artists who were selected for their "artistic excellence, lifetime achievement and contributions to traditional arts heritage," according to the organization.
"I've known Fabian for over thirty years and throughout this time, art was his refuge and at the center of his life," Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, said in a statement. "His selection as a 2024 NEA Heritage Fellow is an acknowledgement of his creative talents, and will have lasting, positive impact on his family, everyone at the Homeboy Art Academy and our entire Homeboy community."
When Debora was young, his father was incarcerated. At 12, he joined a gang and spent years in and out of prison. He also struggled with substance use disorder -- and his art became his solace.
In 2007, Debora walked through the doors of Homeboy Industries. He later completed his recovery program, which he attributes to his family and many community members, who supported him. Debora then went on to create Homeboy Industries' substance abuse program, serving as a drug counselor and art class facilitator.
In the last 16 years, Debora has dedicated himself as an arts educator and working with high-risk youth in the community and detention centers. He also leads the Homeboy Art Academy, located in Boyle Heights, where gang- impacted youth have access to arts programs and mentorship.
Debora's oil paintings and large-scale public murals highlight life's painful experiences, strength to overcome challenges, and people's ability to recognize humanity in one another, according to Homeboy Industries. He previously presented "Love Letters," a portrait series, coffee table book and accompanying film as part of his fellowship with the California Arts Council.
In October, Debora is expected to install a three-story mural in Boyle Heights. He also is currently working on expanding the art academy for Homeboy Industries.
There will be events celebrating the fellows' achievements:
-- At 7:30 p.m. ET, Tuesday, the National Endowment for the Arts will premiere 10 short films featuring the fellows at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.; and
-- At 5:30 p.m., ET, there will be an awards ceremony at the Library of Congress, as well as film screenings and conversations, which will be streamed live at www.arts.gov/honors/heritage.
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