Those implications being that all women are holy, that Latinas are holy, working women and aging women are all illuminated. So, when I saw her work, I thought of how brave it was, what she was doing, and how afraid she must have been to show the work based on the implications the paintings make. However, I was too afraid to really show the work of art for fear of backlash. Q: What was the first piece of hers that you recall seeing? What was your initial reaction to that piece, and why?Ī: My first reaction was, “Whoa.” I had made paintings similar to hers with a Guadalupe figure replaced by other figures. Her work, and that of others like Judy Baca and Laura Aguilar, have opened a new world to me, and my voice in the art world. As I navigated my world with a Caucasian mother and a Mexican father, as a Chicana artist living at the border, I began to see Chicano as its own culture. I was raised in Arizona during the time when Chicano studies were banned, and I hadn’t learned much of anything about my own culture. I had previously never had any formal education in Chicano art. Q: What kind of influence have Yolanda Lopez’s life and work had on you?Ī: When I first heard of Yolanda Lopez and her work, I had moved back to San Diego after my scholarship to graduate school at the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture in New York City. It was a fun experience that brought people together. It’s taken two months of all of these people making objects, and a few months of conversation and design before that. I wanted to use a lot of craft elements, like traditional papier-mâché, because I am interested in craft as fine art, and usually try to use materials that may be considered childlike or less valuable in society’s eyes, and then flip it on its head until you cannot deny its place in the fine art world. I knew I wanted to make a lot of orange pompoms that mimic the look of the marigolds, another important aspect of the ofrenda. I created giant, papier-mâché calaveras (skulls) and fruit, along with giant papel picado (a type of Mexican folk art created by cutting designs into paper) and images of Yolanda and her paintings, incense, water, and a paint palette and brushes, which were the artist’s favorite items. The pompoms are decorating the altar and its surrounding areas. Volunteers from the garden, Poway Girl Scout Troop 2011, and San Diego’s You Belong Here, created over 1,500 pompoms for this event. The garden volunteers built a wooden shelf structure, which tapers up to an arch with oil painted portraits I created of the late Yolanda Lopez, in her signature (Virgin of) Guadalupe poses. Parking tips: park for free across the street at Caltrans all day Saturday and Sunday, or take the trolley.This altar has a round, 60-inch base that you can walk around, and it stands over 10 feet tall. 2, which includes “Tour of Altars,” a candlelight procession, face painting and mask decorating throughout Old Town at participating sites. The event is in conjunction with Old Town’s Día de Los Muertos three-day event, from 2 to 9 p.m. 2, the Bazaar del Mundo Shops will highlight its alters and offer treats and children’s crafts through closing at 5:30 p.m. Hot chocolate, mini churros and coloring sheets will be available for the children, while historical handouts will be provided to adults. Exotic sounds will be provided by Latin American folk group Tinku.Ĭhildren and families can enjoy a sugar-skull decorating class on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. As part of Old Town San Diego’s Annual “ Tour of Altars,” produced by the Old Town Chamber of Commerce, the Bazaar del Mundo shops will be transformed into a walkable trail of altars, complete with traditional sugar skulls, handmade papier-mâché decorations and guest artists selling Day of the Dead-themed jewelry, handbags, accessories, prints and cards to promote the holiday. The festivities will continue next door at Bazaar del Mundo. Despite its title, the celebration is a vibrant and colorful tribute to the lives of those who have passed.Ĭelebrated annually on November 1 and 2, Casa Guadalajara will continue the tradition of paying homage to the deceased with an elaborately decorated alter, and offer traditional Day of the Dead dishes such as chicken pipián tamales and mole negro. Día de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, is a Mexican celebration to remember past family and loved ones.
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