Latino Murals Promote Cultural Legacy: The San Anto Cultural Arts Story
This summer the San Anto Cultural Arts program is celebrating its 28th year of painting community murals, sponsoring art classes for young students, and publishing an arts newspaper. Executive Director Ben Tremillo and his small staff of six are driven by “this need...
Little Miss Dynamite: The Indelible Shelly Lares
Interview by Natasha Gonzales Article by Celinda De La Fuente The dynamic and effervescent Shelly Lares has announced her retirement from Tejano music, but continues to advocate for the gente’s music. She recently debuted what would be her last album titled “LMD82”...
Jose Arpa: America’s First Latino Impressionist
The San Antonio Museum of Art opened the exhibit America’s Impressionism: Echoes of a Revolution June 12, and the inclusion of a large painting by Latino artist Jose Arpa, [En el Jardin] who painted in San Antonio during the years 1899-1930, pleased me greatly. I was...
Luminaria Celebrates Artists With Fall Contemporary Arts Festival
Interview by Julia Aguillon Article by Jackie Velez Luminaria is an arts non-profit organization that is dedicated to producing and promoting the arts of San Antonio, Texas. Executive Director, Yadhira Lozano, announced the organization's Contemporary Arts Festival...
Carlos Fuentes Unguarded, written in 1998
“I was born under the zodiac sign I would have chosen anyway. I am a scorpio." Born 11 Nov. 1928 in Mexico City, Fuentes would spend his formative years in the U.S. From age 4 to age 11 he lived in Washington, DC. It was here that at the age of 7 Carlos Fuentes began...
Teaching Artist Empowers Community Through the Arts
Interview by Julia Aguillon Article by Jackie Velez Writer, artist and performer, Joyous Windrider Jimenez, plays a vital role in the San Antonio community as a teaching artist, a unique occupation that helps young artists thrive creatively. Before helping San Antonio...
The Chicano Art Movement in Texas
Image: Cesar Martinez "SRA Estrada in the 1930's" oil on canvas. Collection of Harriett and Ricardo Romo The Texas Chicano art movement began approximately 50 years ago. A precise date for the beginning of an art movement is generally difficult because no one knows...
Theatre Artist Nicolas Valdez Plays the “Conjunto Blues”
Interview by Clint Westwood Article by Alex Ramirez Last Friday, the 39th annual Tejano Conjunto Festival hosted Conjunto Blues, a one-man show written and performed by San Antonio theatre artist Nicolas R. Valdez. The show kicked off this year’s fully virtual 2-day...
Coming to America in 1598: A Latino Story
In 1598, Miguel Sánchez Sáenz, my 7th great grandfather on my mother’s side, sailed from the La Rioja region of Spain to the Americas as an indentured servant. Sáenz hailed from the town of Anguiano a short distance from Pamplona, a city famed for its encierro...
La Cultura De Mi Vida
It’s not easy to articulate in a brief editorial the impact car culture has had on individuals like myself. As a kid, I’d look forward to my parents asking my siblings and me if we would like to go for a cruise on the weekends. It usually meant candy, soda, and likely...