Mexic-Arte Museum Artistic Director was honored with an invitation to the 25th Annual  Day of the Dead Exhibition at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago. Ms. Orozco was invited along with her sister, and the duo created an “Ofrenda” in honor of their mother, community leader Aurora Orozco. The piece consisted of a diaphanous surface on which an image of Aurora alternated with verse from a poem composed by daughter Irma Orozco.  Sylvia  and sister Dr. Cynthia Orozco were both  in attendance for the Exhibition’s opening on Friday, September 9th.

The exhibition in Chicago also featured a very special piece from the Mexic-Arte Museum Permanent Collection, titled “Voces de las Perdidas” by Texas-based artist Adriana Corral. The piece was especially created for the back gallery of the Mexic-Arte Museum, and is a clay installation of over 800 tile pieces to represent the Femicides in Mexico. The artist collaborated with local Talavera importer Clay Imports Artesanal who commissioned authentic Talavera tile artisans in Dolores Hidalgo to make the hundreds of hanging tile pieces by hand.

The Altar for Aurora Orozco

Left, Voces de Las Perdidas Installation at the National Mexican Museum in Chicago

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Sugar Skulls at National Mexican Museum

On Thursday, August 25th at 10:30 a.m. the Austin City Council approved a Resolution supporting the 5th Street Mexican American Heritage Corridor. The Corridor, which has identified historically significant Mexican American sites along 5th Street, runs from Plaza Saltillo on the east side of I-35, all the way to Republic Square, west of Guadalupe Street, and is an initiative that owes much of its success to Mexic-Arte Museum Founder and Artistic Director Sylvia Orozco. The Corridor acknowledges the long history of the Mexican American community in the City of Austin, in particular to the Downtown.

This historic resolution was sponsored by Council Member Mike Martinez and Co-Sponsored by Mayor Lee Leffingwell and Council Member Chris Riley. Sylvia Orozco says of the approval “this is a great achievement for our community and for Mexic-Arte Museum, but it is chiefly a great win for the all citizens of this wonderful city. There are many potential benefits that may result from this resolution, the improvement of 5th St., the creation of the corridor, and perhaps even the incorporation of public art.” She also took a moment to thank everyone who has been a part of this process, making this vision a reality for all Austinites to enjoy.

The Agenda for the day also listed the adoption of the Downtown Austin Plan by City Council, which includes a list of staff-recommended amendments regarding the 5th Street Mexican-American Heritage Corridor, which will “Explore the creation of a 5th Street Mexican American Heritage Corridor linking Republic Square to Saltillo Plaza”

“The area around what is now called Republic Square was, in the early 20th century, a hub of the Mexican American community in Austin. Located within this area were the Walker Chili Company, Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Catholic Church, and numerous other Mexican American businesses and residences. Nicknames for what is now called Republic Square included “Chili Park” and “Mexican Park. The 1920s witnessed the migration (instigated by the 1928 City Plan) most of those businesses, residences, and institutions to East Austin, where Saltillo Plaza is located. The idea of creating a cultural/historical corridor along 5th Street – linking these two public squares – has been suggested as far back as the 1999 “Republic Square Task Force Final Recommendations.”

Congratulations to all for this great achievement!

Earlier today, The Mexic-Arte Museum received a special visit from Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regional Affairs Thomas Guevara of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Mr. Guevara and his two colleagues joined the Museum’s Artistic Director Sylvia Orozco, Managing Director Frank M. Rodriguez and Director of Programs Claudia Zapata, touring the YLA 16 exhibition, which is currently on display until September 25th. The Mexic-Arte Museum Staff was also joined by Mr. Michael Candelas, who serves in the Mexic-Arte Museum Board of Directors, and is a member of the Board’s Executive Committee.

The group had the opportunity to look at the work that YLA16 Curator Alexander Freeman selected for this exhibition guided by Mexic-Arte’s own Director of Programs, Claudia, who worked closely with Mr. Freeman to make this exhibition a success.

Of the visit, Mr. Guevara said: “We very much enjoyed the visit and are impressed with the foothold Mexic-Arte has established in downtown Austin. The creative work all of you do is important, not only for Mexican culture, but equally to the business vitality of the City. Thank you all for hosting us and giving us your time and vision.”

See more images of the E.D.A. Group’s Visit to Mexic-Arte Museum Here

Special Thanks to the E.D.A. for their time.

Viva la Vida Fest

28th Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Free Admission

5th Street Downtown

Congress to Brazos

Vendor Fair &

Live Performances

2-10PM

Plaza Saltillo

5th & Comal

Concurso de Calaveritas

& Family Activities

2-5PM

Grand Procession

Plaza Saltillo

Down East 6th Street

6-7PM

We are now recruiting vendors, volunteers and procession participants. For details and application forms, click on the links below:

Food and Art/Retail Vendors

Volunteers

Grand Procession Participants

Altar Exhibition

2011 Grand Procession Theme: Calling 100 Mexican Free-tailed Bats!

For nearly three decades, Mexic-Arte Museum has introduced a new costume theme to the Día de los Muertos Grand Procession. With each new category, the parade becomes more creative, more visually impressive, and more uniquely Austin. This year, we are recruiting 100 Mexican Free-tailed Bat Costumes. As Austin’s unofficial mascot, bats are an important part of our “Keep Austin Weird” identity. But did you know that bats were also central to Pre-Hispanic images of Death and the Underworld?

For details, costume ideas, and to register, download our Procession Application form at www.mexic-artemuseum.org or email parade@mexic-artemuseum.org.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Mexic-Arte Museum, the Official Mexican and Mexican American Fine Art Museum of Texas, is celebrating its 28th Annual Día de los Muertos – Austin’s largest and longest-running Day of the Dead festival featuring Latino artists and entertainment, educational art activities, and a grand procession in the heart of downtown.

Part of the proceeds benefit the Museum’s education outreach programs.

Viva la Vida Fest celebrates life and our environment through art and culture, using the traditions of Dia de los Muertos. The festival brings together a diversity of people in Austin to pay homage to friends, family, and heroes. The festival features a grand procession followed by a costume contest and a street celebration with:

natural and organic Mexican and Tex-Mex foods and beverages

hands-on art activities & artist demos

local artist and retail booths

spectacular, larger-than-life props

live music and dance performances!

To make the festival eco-friendly, Mexic-Arte Museum encourages all participating artists and festival-goers to create their props out of recycled, re-used, and sustainable materials. The Museum is also committed to leaving a smaller footprint on the environment by reducing waste and minimizing energy wasted.

The event will not only encourage environmentally conscious artistic creations, but it will also promote eco-friendly living, healthy eating, and exercise through cycling and walking.

BICYCLES, BUSES, and CARS

CYCLISTS

We encourage you to ride your bicycle to Viva la Vida Fest! It’s healthy, and it’s easier to find parking.

BUS-RIDERS

There is a Capital Metro bus stop at the corner of Mexic-Arte Museum. Please check their website, www.capmetro.org, for route information.

DRIVERS

There are several options available for those arriving by car:

1) pay-as-you go metered parking on the streets

2) garage parking at Perry Brooks garage at 9th & Brazos, Capitol Tower garage, at 9th & San Jacinto, and Littlefield garage on 6th Street, just east of Congress Ave.

WHAT IS DIA DE LOS MUERTOS?

For 25 years, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) has been Mexic-Arte Museum’s annual signature event in the Austin community. Día de los Muertos is an important Latin American tradition, taking place on November 2, when friends and family gather to honor and remember loved ones – not through mourning, but through celebration! The origins trace back to the Pre-Columbian era, when death was viewed as a transformation. Death was not seen as the final end, but rather as a cycle or continuation of life. This ancient belief evolved to the modern tradition of creating altars to commemorate loved ones, decorated with sugar skulls, flowers, photographs, and favorite foods and memorabilia of the deceased. They share stories and memories, and they sing songs and play music.

Click here to download the Day of the Dead

Educational Activity guide

Click here to download the

paper-mâché shapes

SPONSORS

Please contact Melanie Morgan at pr@mexic-artemuseum.org or (512) 480-9373 x84 for 2010 Sponsorship Opportunities.

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES

Children and their families will have the opportunity to create vegetable print collages, migajon sculptures, foods for the dead for the children’s area altar, calavera masks, paper flowers, a small-scale model of the Angel of Independence (a national monument in Mexico City), papel picado, and potato relief stamp art. This is a special and wonderful opportunity for people of all ages to learn about the traditions of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) through interactive, hands-on art activities.

For more information about the Museum’s Education Programs click here or contact eduprogrammanager@mexic-artemuseum.org.