As ICE raids disrupt Latino neighborhoods, Irresistible Resistance Los Angeles brings art into struggling small businesses to strengthen community resilience and economic survival.
Ed Patuto recalls his family’s history. Italians who settled in Ohio, they came to this country like many other immigrants, in search of resources that would provide a better life—planning to eventually return to their homeland.
“That never happened,” says Patuto, Director of Audience Engagement at The Broad. He laughs, though the sensitivity in his voice is unmistakable. “I will never forget my origins.”
That awareness led him to plan a movement that would serve as a means of expression while also helping the community and small businesses during these difficult times marked by ICE raids.
“I would go out to dinner and see businesses with very few people, sometimes none at all. Boyle Heights, Downtown, Chinatown—they no longer had the spark we were used to,” he adds.
After many years working at The Broad, considered one of the most prominent contemporary art museums in the world, Patuto decided to use his connections to launch an initiative called Irresistible Resistance—a series of pop-up cultural events in small businesses, many of which are struggling to remain open.
“The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible,” wrote author, filmmaker, and activist Toni Cade Bambara. She emphasized that art and culture are not merely entertainment, but essential tools for political change and social transformation. Creativity, joy, and cultural expression become powerful instruments to challenge injustice and repression.
For Patuto, this is part of his mission.
“It makes me angry—furious—to see what’s happening, to see how ICE is targeting people, families who can’t even go out into the street to get what they need to survive. When I think about all of that, I remember my own story—the story my father told me before he died—how my family crossed through Canada to reach this country. I know I can’t tolerate it. I knew I had to do something,” says the art curator.
This activism may have those origins, but it is also fueled by the sensitivity expressed in his words. Born in Ohio, he moved to New York as a young man. He wanted to be a dancer, to live and breathe the art world that city offered. But the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s arrived, and he knew he had to shift his priorities. He became involved in the fight and learned invaluable lessons from those extreme circumstances.
“I learned so much in New York—within the art world and just walking the streets. Learning to survive, seeing a gun pointed at you or a bat swung at you—everything eventually falls into place, all comes together. Being inside the art world, I see my soul. I knew it was my path,” he says.
He traveled, lived for a time in San Francisco, and later moved to Los Angeles, where he worked at Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), a period he remembers as one of the most phenomenal of his life.
For Patuto, art is fundamental to being human. It is present in every scene of life—on the streets, in museums and galleries, in workplaces. Despite working at The Broad and being part of a major artistic community, he does not forget the world around him. Metaphorically speaking, when he leaves work, he adjusts his shoes, straightens his glasses, and walks out to interact with the world around him. Nothing surprises him; humanism and justice are part of his guiding principles. In those values, Patuto lives and transforms. Irresistible Resistance reflects that philosophy—his fight is everyone’s fight.
“Once I was clear about what I had to do, I went out into the community. I made connections, sought funding, collaborated with artists… it was a great opportunity for small businesses. Working at The Broad is a powerful platform. I used it to amplify those voices—the ones I’ve lived alongside for years—and to support the community,” he explains.
Many people have approached him to thank him for thinking of them—the individuals and businesses affected by the raids.
“They tell me, ‘Thank you. We thought you had forgotten about us.’ That moves me,” he says. “Being a descendant of immigrants is something I carry with pride.
Patuto knows the community is under attack. He hopes the movement will grow, expand, and reach more people. For now, he is watching closely to see how it develops.
“I don’t understand how some people can hurt others so deeply. I can’t explain it. Yes, it makes me furious,” he concludes.
Irresistible Resistance
You can check out some events on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/selaartsfoundation/
In SELA, Culture Is Resistance — And Small Businesses Matter
