Miembros Newsletter: March 2023

A Message from The Director

Thank you Ampersand Art Supply for 13 Years of Support!

We thank our dedicated sponsor Ampersand Art Supply! For over thirteen years, Ampersand has generously donated two hundred gessobords annually to Mexic-Arte Museum’s Mix ‘n’ Mash art exhibit.

Mix ‘n’ Mash is an annual group art exhibition and sale featuring over 200 artists. The works of art featured in the exhibition are created on gesso boards. Taking place for the first time in 2009, proceeds from art sales help provide funding for Mexic-Arte’s programming.

This year’s theme is Alimento para el alma / Food for the soul, celebrating the variety of foods interpreted by local and regional artists on 12 x 12 boards. Each one draws you in and tells a story or evokes an emotion.

The art sale not only increases awareness about the visual arts and art collecting in the community but also funds the Museum’s all-ages educational programming. Art works can be purchased through the Museum’s Online Store after the event.

We thank Elaine Salazar and the great Ampersand team. Elaine Salazar is the owner of Ampersand Art Supply, a company she began as a graduate student in the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. Her background in art history led her to collaborate with artist Charles Ewing to bring to market several unique painting surfaces for artists beginning in 1993. Unparalleled quality, innovative coatings, and the company’s exclusive Archiva-Seal™ are some of the many reasons artists trust Ampersand for their artwork. The company has surfaces for artists working in multiple media formats, from oils to watercolor. Elaine’s commitment to support Latino/a artists in their work has led to the company’s steadfast support of Mexic-Arte’s mission over the years. Since 2009, the company has
been very proud to donate all the panels for Mexic-Arte’s Mix ‘n’ Mash artwork benefit fundraisers.

From all of us, we truly appreciate your support of the Museum. We thank 2023 artists and all the artists of the past years for supporting the museum. And we thank you, the community, who purchase these artworks. We invite everyone to come out and see Alimento para el alma / Food for the soul and purchase some Mix ‘n’ Mash art!

Support the arts! Support Mexic-Arte Museum!

Executive Director

Sylvia Orozco

Upcoming Events

Mix ‘n’ Mash: Alimento para el alma / Food for the soul Opens on March 3

Mix ‘n’ Mash Alimento para el alma / Food for the soul Exhibition and Art Sale will be on view from Friday, March 3 – 19, 2023. This group exhibition displays artworks from over 100 local and regional artists created on quality panels donated by Ampersand Art Supply. The art sale not only increases awareness about the visual arts and art collecting in the community, but also provides funding for the Museum’s exhibitions, supports educational programming for children and adults, and sustains upkeep and care of the permanent collection. Artworks may also be purchased through the Museum Online Store.

2023 Theme: Alimento para el alma / Food for the soul

This year’s theme is food for the soul. Food has the ability to lift the spirit and bring communities together. Food traditions are often passed from one generation to the next, bringing us closer to our history and our families. Food preparation also has as much creative potential as any traditional media (painting, drawing, sculpting, etc.). Austin is home to people from many countries. Mexic-Arte Museum, located in Central Texas and situated so close to the state’s capital, has the opportunity to host people from all over the state, country, and world. These people bring a variety of tastes, food memories, and food cultures with them. In Alimento para el alma / Food for the soul, we celebrate the variety of foods cherished by artists. The artists in Alimento para el alma / Food for the soul share their backgrounds, culture, and tastes (artistic and culinary) with their contribution to this year’s Mix ‘n’ Mash exhibition.

Mix ‘n’ Mash: Derived from the terms “mix-and-match” (to combine elements in a harmonious and interesting way) and “mash-up” (a work that blends two or more songs or pieces of art from different genres), Mix ‘n’ Mash is an original concept by Mexic-Arte Museum, which refers not only to the mashing of genres into one work of art, but also to the mixing of work by various artists to create a unique collector’s set.

The professional quality acid-free panels used by the artists are Gessobord, made in Austin, Texas and generously donated by Ampersand. Mexic-Arte Museum would like to recognize and thank all the participating artists for their generous donation and support. Thank You!

Save the Date! Expresiones de Mexico, Arte de la Gente/Art of the People Opens April 14

Following the revolution in the 1920s Mexico’s leaders sought to define and promote Mexico’s culture and art to its people and the world. This campaign included looking to artists from regions all over Mexico. The search for a neatly defined Mexican art form is a difficult task to take on. The vast number of Mexican artists, both past and present, produce a wide variety of artworks. Their artworks also come in a great assortment of styles, subjects, and mediums. To this day, artists from all over Mexico master and share their practices with their communities and the world.

With Expresiones de Mexico, Arte de la Gente / Art of the People Mexic-Arte Museum presents the impressive collection of artworks created by many artists utilizing techniques and skills passed down through generations.

This collection has been compiled over the course of the nearly forty years of Mexic-Arte Museum’s history. This exhibition will give light to some of the key master artists in Mexico that have made this art so sought out by people around the world. Expresiones de Mexico, Arte de la Gente / Art of the People includes artwork from pivotal artists, including Carlos Aguilar, Irene Aguilar, Josefina Aguilar, Teodora Blanco, Capelo, Guadalupe Garcia Rios, Gorky Gonzalez, Felipe Linares, Heron Martinez Mendoza, Manuel Morales, Juan Orta, Tiburcio Soteno, additional featured artists, and others whose names remain anonymous. The artwork by these people expresses the variety and vibrancy of these artforms that, for many, are emblematic of Mexico’s creativity and culture.

The artworks in this exhibition represent generous donations by significant donors including Patricia and Carmine DeVivi, Robert Hollingsworth, Ed Jordan, Joyce and David Moss, Priscilla Murr, Juan Antonio Sandoval Jr., David Wilkinson, Marilyn Wood, and others. Donations from valued collectors evidence the continued role of Mexic-Arte Museum as an entrusted steward of art in Austin for nearly four decades.

The artwork in Expresiones de Mexico, Arte de la Gente / Art of the People spans the gamut of tradition, technique, beauty, and time and Mexic-Arte Museum welcomes the community to share in the enjoyment, discovery, and appreciation of these incredible artworks and traditions.

March Changarrito Artist, Toto

About The Artist

Most commonly known by his artist name, Toto, Jorge Flores-Pere was born in Los Angeles, California in 1995, and is now located in Houston, Texas. His first experience as an artist was as a curator in 2016. Jorge put together an annual group show called “The Elephant in the Room” showcasing artists’ work from around the area. He continued to do this for three years growing each year and getting recognition from his local newspaper as a must see. He then shifted his attention to his own work, trying to perfect his craft. Jorge specializes in portrait painting, working primarily with acrylics and oils, capturing the story of everyday individuals with each brush stroke. He has worked with Carlos Cruz-Diez to create a mural in the heart of downtown Los Angeles and has shown work both nationally and internationally.

Jorge has taken courses at Glassell School of Art in Houston and is currently studying Art at Pasadena City College with hopes to continue his degree and transfer to a large university next year.

His biggest influence has been his family’s culture. Coming from Guatemalan and Cuban descent, his focus has been to put people of color in the limelight. Given how the art world is mostly represented by white individuals, Jorge’s goal is to allow people from his community to share their story. Statement from artist— “I remember going into museums and not being able to connect with the work because I didn’t see myself in the pieces. My goal is to change that narrative and to show that there’s more to Latin American artists besides the big names such as Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. We aren’t just a staple in history, but also still incredibly present in the world today.”

Exhibitions

First Mero Muro Mural– Carmen Rangel’s Tree of Life Estampilla

February Changarrito Artist, Sara Palma

On February 23, 2023 at 5:00 pm, Mexic-Arte Museum Curator of Exhibitions and Director of Programs Isabel Servantez interviewed Sara Palma as part of the monthly Changarrito art cart residency on Mexic-Arte’s Instagram page on Instagram Live.

If you missed the interview, you can watch it here.

About The Artist

I’m a Graphic Designer and Artist, born in the USA and raised in Mexico. I am an art lover and graduate of La Salle University in Mexico City. I’m about to start my Masters Degree in Branding at LABASAD Barcelona School of Arts & Design, University de Lleida, focusing on Branding. One of my first achievements after I graduated was to work at BAMF! Design, a specialized consulting agency for branding and packaging. I moved to Austin 5 years ago, and I currently work as the Creative Director and Visual Communicator at Mexic-Arte Museum. I am fascinated with art and the natural and built environment. In my philosophy, I am inspired by Ana Mendietta, Leonora Carrington, Dalí, and Remedios Varo.

About Changarrito Program:

Changarrito is an art vending cart, conceptualized by artist Maximo Gonzalez as an alternative to the official gallery selection presented by the Mexican cultural authorities.

True to the Mexic-Arte Museum’s mission, the Changarrito is dedicated to the presentation and promotion of contemporary Latinx and Latin American art. Artists have the opportunity to sell their art on the Changarrito cart in front of the Museum (or an offsite location, as a representative for the Museum during various Austin festivals). It expands the reach of the artist by presenting their gallery online, while allowing the option to sell merch over Instagram and receive 100% of the sale. For each Changarrito artist, the Museum acquires a work of art for its permanent collection.

Humanities Lecture Series – Chicano/a Art, Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s – Dr. Claudia Zapata

Mexic-Arte Museum is proud to host Dr. Claudia Zapata as one of Humanities Lecturers for the exhibition Chicano/a Art, Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s. Claudia E. Zapata (they/them) earned their Ph.D. in art history at Southern Methodist University’s RASC/a: Rhetorics of Art, Space, and Culture program. They received their BA and MA in art history from The University of Texas at Austin, specializing in Maya art from the Classic period (250-900 CE). Zapata was the curator of exhibitions and programs at the Mexic-Arte Museum. From 2018-2022, Claudia was the curatorial assistant of Latinx art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Currently, Zapata is a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow at UCLA. Their current research analyzes Chicanx and Latine/x creators in Web3.

Dr. Zapata’s lecture will take place on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 12PM through Facebook live.

Lecture Title: The Texas Farm Workers Union (TFWU) in Chicano Art

Labor activist and former United Farm Worker Secretary-Treasurer, Antonio Orendain led the Texas Farm Workers Union (TFWU) from the 1970s to the 1980s. The Texas Union championed Texas farm worker’s rights throughout the state under the Union’s unifying logo of a shade tree within an encircled Texas state outline. Chicano artists like Amado Peña, Carlos Cortez, Luis Guerra, and several anonymous artists included this logo throughout their art to showcase direct support and political solidarity for the Texas labor cause. While California’s United Farm Workers’ (UFW) eagle logo has been an iconic visual contribution to Chicano art, I investigate this unstudied chapter of Texas political print iconography to solidify Texas labor movements as a significant historical moment for activist artists and their print production. 

You can find out more about the exhibition Chicano/a Art, Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s and see images of all of the objects in that exhibition on Mexic-Arte Museum’s Culture Connect Website.

Collections

Joyce and David Moss Collection to be featured in Expresiones de Mexico, Arte de la Gente/Art of the People

In 2022, long-time friends of the Mexic-Arte Museum Joyce and David Moss generously donated their extensive collection of Mexican art. This collection consists of over 350 objects, including a variety of ceramics, traditional masks, wooden figures, textiles, and more. 

We had the pleasure of hosting Joyce and David Moss in January to give them a tour of Mexic-Arte and learn more about their collection. When speaking with the couple about how they started collecting, they said when they retired in the early 1990’s and settled in Mexico, they became enamored by smaller ceramics in the state of Tonala. From there, they continued to travel to regions like Chipas, Guanajuato, Mata Ortiz, Tlaquepaque, and Tzintzuntzan to acquire objects they were attracted to by their techniques or because it simply brought them joy.

Come see objects from the Joyce and David Moss Collection in Mexic-Arte Museum’s upcoming exhibition, Expresiones de Mexico, Arte de la Gente/Art of the People, on April 17, 2023.