Virtual Expresiones de México, Arte de la Gente

Patricia and Carmine DeVivi (b.1929 – d.2017) generously donated to Mexic-Arte Museum masks from Western Mexico including the states of Guerrero and Michoacán, made of wood, leather and metal. This collection includes over 300 pieces and was donated in 2012. Mr. De Vivi began visiting indigenous villages in the 1950’s, collecting masks used in rituals and dances. Mr DeVivi also served four years in the U.S. Air Force in the OSI division.

Mr. DeVivi received his bachelor’s degree in advertising design from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA and his masters degree in fine arts from the University of Pennsylvania. He then went on to teach at the Hill School in Pottstown, PA and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. He and his wife Patricia moved to California and he continued to teach at the Athenian School in Danville, CA and the College of the Arts in Oakland, CA. After teaching, he became an entrepreneur, opening his own gallery and gift shop in Danville, CA called The Image Maker. During this time he continued to mentor while creating and exhibiting his own works of art, for which he received numerous awards and recognition. His artwork is owned, displayed and part of numerous private collections throughout the world. Patricia and Carmine DeVivi’s masks collection was previously featured in the Mexic-Arte exhibition, Masked: Changing Identities in 2013. 

About the masks of Mexico Mr. DeVivi stated, “They aren’t only beautiful pieces of artwork, but a representation of a culture’s history — and in their case, an invaluable treasure for those of Mexican descent who want to cherish and preserve their heritage.” Each mask’s vibrant colors and designs reflect Mexican traditions of indigenous craftsmanship, mythic narratives, and dance rituals.” Mr. DeVivi summed up his interest in the meaning of these masks, saying, “Masks that are reproductions of the human form, the minute you put a mask on, you act like something else, you interpret the situation differently, that’s probably one of the most important things to know about masks — a mask is an interpretation of your soul and the way you think, the way you perform and the way you respond.”

Robert “Holly” Hollingsworth (b.1926- d.2014) served in the U.S. Navy in World War II and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, Holly married Ann Prather and began a career as a journalist for the Dallas Times Herald. After serving as a political reporter and member of the White House press corps, Holly returned to Texas as the editor and COO of the paper. During retirement, Holly and Anne lived in Mexico for nine years to explore their passion for folk culture and travel, collecting arte de la gente along the way. Upon returning to Austin, Holly became active in the art community and a great supporter of Austin Friends of Folk Art. Mexic-Arte is proud to continue Mr. Hollingsworth’s legacy by presenting his collection of arte de la gente.

Ed Jordan has been enthusiastic about Mexico and its artistic traditions for most of his life. Mr. Jordan’s passion for Mexico has propelled him to numerous trips to Mexico to meet Mexican artists and acquire artwork from them. He has proven himself a only a skilled collector, with an eye for finding quality art in a myriad of shops, and a valuable holder and reservoir of knowledge about arte de la gente. Mexic-Arte has been fortunate to have Mr.Jordan act as one of the exhibition advisors for Expresiones de Mexico, Arte de la Gente / Art of the People.

Born and educated in Austin, Texas, he is a 5th generation Texan. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and served in the U.S. Army in the Military Police Customs Unit in Germany. After his time in the Army Mr. Jordan spent years in Dallas as an Art and Design Director for art studios and advertising agencies. He created the advertising for the State Fair of Texas in Dallas for over 10 years and did free-lance work for Neiman-Marcus. From 1988 to 1993, He taught art at Blinn College’s campus at the Federal Correctional Institution in Bastrop, Texas. As an artist himself, he has exhibited pen and ink drawings and serigraphy prints in art shows and festivals across the country, including at the Laguna Gloria Art Festival in Austin and in art museums in El Paso, Wichita Falls, Florida, Louisiana and Michigan.

Joyce and David Moss retired in the early 1990’s and settled in Mexico, becoming enamored by 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 based on the execution of certain techniques or because of the joy that each piece brought them.

Priscilla Murr (b.1942 – d.2015) was a renowned Jungian analyst and folk art collector. Her contributions to the Austin community cement her in the history and culture of Austin. She was the president of the Austin Friends of Folk Art and was involved with the Rock Art Foundation. Murr was also a large contributor to the preservation of Mexican art and culture in Austin. She studied Mexican mythology in the Mayan city of San Cristobal de las Casas, and owned an extensive collection of Mexican folk art, which she generously donated to Mexic-Arte Museum and exists as a major part of the Museum’s permanent collection.

Juan Antonio Sandoval Jr. (b.1946 – d.2021) a former reference librarian and subject specialist for art and Chicanx studies at The University of Texas at El Paso, generously donated his expansive collection of Latin American and Latinx art to Mexic-Arte Museum, which he had grown over 30 years. The Sandoval Collection is made up of over 1,500 artworks. It includes prints, photographs, paintings, sculptures, and popular art from the El Paso region, as well as Mexico. The Collection also contains hundreds of publications and ephemera. Juan Sandoval’s act of artistic good will has created the possibility for many generations to engage, investigate, and learn from the artwork he donated. On the subject of collecting he stated, “I have been a reluctant art collector all of my life,” and “I didn’t go out of my way to buy art.”, going on to say, “Art came to me and, by buying art from people I knew or who were sent to me, I was fortunate and built up a legacy which I will leave to some deserving organization.” Sandoval traveled often to the state of Oaxaca, which he considered his second home. On his travels he would also collect art.

On deciding to donate his collection to Mexic-Arte Museum, Sandoval stated that he wanted to donate his artwork to an institution that had the ability and intention to share his work with the community.Juan Antonio Sandoval Jr.s’ collection was previously featured in the Mexic-Arte Museum exhibition, Mexico, The Border and Beyond: Selections from the Juan Antonio Sandoval Jr. Collection in 2020.

Marilyn and David Wilkinson have generously donated a collection of masks to the museum. Mr. Wilkinson has explained that since the early 1970s he and his wife visited Mexico more than 40 times and were able to visit 19 of the 31 states of Mexico. He has explained that his collection includes masks from several types of occasions and that what attracted he and Mrs. Wilkinson to the masks was their creativity, and how mask makers captured meaning and the spirit of dance with them. When asked about why he donated his collection to Mexic-Arte Museum, Mr. Wilkinson explained that a deciding factor was his belief in the mission of Mexic-Arte Museum sharing Mexican and Latin American culture, and a feeling that the museum was a comfortable fit for the Wilkinson’s collection.

Sylvia Orozco, originally from Cuero, Texas moved to Austin after high school to study painting at the University of Texas. After graduating from U.T. Orozco continued her education in Mexico City at the famed Academia de San Carlos, earning a Master of Fine Arts in mural painting. It was there that she began an art school teaching oil painting and color theory, and began collecting books, articles, ephemera, and photographs of Mexican art. After five years in Mexico, she returned to Austin intending to “start some sort of art gallery or art center” for Mexican artists — something that didn’t exist in the area. In 1984, she and two other artists, Pio Pulido, and Sam Coronado incorporated the Mexic-Arte Museum. Today, Mexic-Arte Museum is one of the few museums in the United States dedicated to Latinx art.

Bruce Hupp has been generous in his donations of traditional masks to Mexic-Arte museum. He has stated that his collecting of masks began in 1964 in Guatemala, while in the Peace Corps. He has said that he became familiar with Mexic-Arte’s mission by becoming professionally acquainted with Sylvia Orozco, Mexic-Arte Museum’s Director and Founder, while in the Texas State Legislature. From learning about Mexic-Arte he believed that the museum would be a good steward of his collection.

Bruce Hupp Walter Hamilton White donated a collection of pottery by the artist Manuel Morales and a popotillo (straw painting) by Luis Guillermo Olay Barrientos. According to Gwen Kunz, Mr. White’s sister, the donation of his collection to Mexic-Arte was in line with upholding his wishes after he passed away. Furthermore, Kunz stated that White had studied interior design at Pratt Institute in New York, so he had an eye for design, and that he always loved Mexico and enjoyed purchasing and appreciating the artwork there. 

James V. Woodrick has donated to Mexic-Arte Museum a large metate (stone grinding tool used for processing grain or seed). Mr. Woodrick has explained that he first acquired the metate more than 30 years ago near the ancient Casas Grandes community, in the state of Chihuahua. Mr Woodrick has stated that after several visits to Mexic-Arte Museum, he believed that the museum would be a good home for the treasured metate he had cared for for three decades.

Gayle Smith has generously donated a teacup set from Tlaquepaque, Jalisco. This set of ceramics was in Mrs.Smith’s family for over 50 years. Mrs. Smith was introduced to Mexic-Arte Museum during a local news segment, in which she was impressed with the mission and the presentation of exhibitions at the museum. With this belief in Mexic-Arte Museum coupled with her own will for these objects to be appreciated by a larger group she reached out to Mexic-Arte, offering to donate her objects to the museum’s collection and mission.

Jennifer Paulus has generously donated a substantial collection of sculptures of Herón Martínez Mendoza from his burnished period. Mrs. Paulus began collecting in the footsteps of her mother, who was also an enthusiast and collector of Martínez Mendoza’s artwork. Over the course of Jennifer’s travels she managed to visit Oaxaca more than 40 times, always having a desire to collect the beautiful artwork of Martínez Mendoza and others. Mexic-Arte museum is proud to accept and share with the community a collection that Mrs. Paulus loved.