GALVESTON.
A LITTLE BREEZY AT THE COAST.
A LATIN-AMERICAN HOLIDAY
HONORING THE DAY.
TODAY IS DAY ONE OF THE TWO-DAY
CELEBRATION THROUGH FAMILIES
HONOR LOVED ONES.
>> AND HERE TO DISCUSS THE
HISTORY AND TO SHARE HOW HOUSTON
IS CELEBRATING IS STEPHANIE
MITCHELL WITH THE LAWNDALE ART
CENTER.
HEY, STEPHANIE.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> I LOVE THIS CELEBRATION.
EVER SINCE SEVENTH GRADE SMASH
CLASS, -- SPANISH CLASS I'VE
BEEN FASCINATED.
THIS IS NOT A DAY OF MOURNING.
IT'S CELEBRATION.
>> AND IT'S A FESTIVE, HAPPY
CELEBRATION, AND COLORFUL, TOO.
AND LAWNDALE ART CENTER HAS HAD
A LONG RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
CELEBRATION.
THIS IS THE 29th YEAR THAT
WE'RE CELEBRATING IT.
AND WITH ART AND A WHOLE
CULTURAL PROGRAM AND LECTURE
SERIES, IT'S REALLY FANTASTIC.
>> I THINK SOMETIMES
EVOKES -- FOLKS ASSOCIATE THE
SUGAR SKULL, BUT YOU'RE DOING SO
MUCH MORE.
>> THESE ARE CONTEMPORAR
DERIVATIONS OF TH RETABLEO.
>> I LOVE RETABLEO.
>> HE HAS TAKEN SOME TRADITIONAL
MEXICAN IMAGERY AND USED THIS AS
A WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH HIS
ANCESTORS AND TO THANK THE
VIRGIN MARY FOR PROTECTING THEM.
>> AND ANGEL IS THE ARTIST.
>> HE IS.
>> IS HE LOCAL?
>> HE IS A LOCAL.
ALL OF THE ARTISTS WHO WE
SUPPORT AT LAWNDALE ARE HOUSTON-
AND TEXAS-BASED.
AND ALL OF THE ARTISTS WHO
CREATED THESE FOR THIS
CELEBRATION AND EXHIBITION ARE
HOUSTON-BASED AND ANGEL IS
TERRIFIC.
HE ALSO WORKS AT THE HOUSTON
ARTS ALLIANCE, SO HE'S VERY MUCH
INVOLVED WITH THE ART WORLD AND
IS OF MEXICAN HERITAGE.
>> HE'S GOT ALL THE DIFFERENT
COLORS THAT LOOKS LIKE A DRESS
UP IN THE CORNER.
IT'S SO PRETTY.
>> THIS IS DEFINITELY THE COLOR
SCHEME IS A LITTLE MORE MUTED
THAN WHAT WE TRADITIONALLY SEE.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF
EMBELLISHMENT, A LOT OF BRIGHT
COLOR.
>> OFTENTIMES WHEN YOU TALK
ABOUT OUR THINK ABOUT THE
SYMBOLISM OR THE ALTARS, THE CUT
TISSUE PAPER, THEY ARE VERY
FESTIVE AND A BRATE PRIMARY
COLORS.
AND NEON COLORS, TOO.
>> STEPHANIE, MOVE ON TO THIS
ONE, THIS ONE IS BRIELTD.
I LOVE ALSO -- BRIGHT.
I LOVE A LITTLE NATURE.
>> THIS IS BY ALSO A
HOUSTON-BASED ARTIST BUT SHE'S
OF UKRAINIAN DEESENT AND SHE
TOOK -- DEESENT AND DECENT AND
SHE TOOK -- WHAT I LOVE ABOUT
THIS PIECE IS THAT FOR THIS
HOLIDAY WHICH DOES CELEBRATE THE
DEATH DID MOURNING, THERE IS --
THE DEATH AND MOURNING, THERE IS
NOT A FESTIVE SUBJECT MATTER BUT
IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ARTISTS
TO COMMUNICATE A PERSONAL STORY.
>> AND THIS ARTIST IS REAINA.
>> YES --
>> VERY NICE.
>> I'M DOING MY BEST.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PIECE YOU
HAVE RIGHT THERE IN YOUR HAND.
>> THIS IS BY AN ARTIST NAMED
KATIA, WHO IS RUSSIAN.
AND SHE TOOK AS HER SUBJECT
MATTER THE TRADITIONAL SKULL,
WHICH OF COURSE RELATES DIRECTLY
TO THE CELEBRATION, WHICH
INVOLVES DEATH.
BUT IT'S GORGEOUSLY PAINTED AND
SHE IS AN ARTIST THAT HAS BEEN
REPRESENTED AT LAWNDALE THROUGH
ONE OF OUR BIG EXHIBITIONS.
>> THAT'S NOT ON PAPER.
THAT LOOKS LIKE --
>> IT'S NOT.
THIS IS FASHIONED ON TIN.
SO HISTORICALLY, IN MEXICO, AND
IN LATIN AMERICA, THEY HAVE BEEN
FASHIONED ON TIN OR SOME SORT OF
TRANSPORTABLE MATERIAL.
SO EVERY YEAR LAWNDALE ART
CENTER GETS OUT THESE TINS TO
ARTISTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS
EXHIBITION.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS I'M FINDING
SO INTERESTING WITH THE ARTISTS,
SOMEBODY FROM RUSSIA, UKRAINE.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST ARTISTS WHOSE
BACKGROUNDS EXTENDED TO MEXICO
AND LATIN AMERICA.
>> NO, THE PROGRAM IS WE PROMOTE
AT LAWNDALE ART CENTER, REALLY
LOOKS AT THE HISTORY AND CULTURE
OF THIS MEXICAN CELEBRATION,
WHICH RESONATES THROUGHOUT LATIN
AMERICA, BUT IT'S A CONTEMPORARY
ALTERNATIVE ART SPACE THAT
SUPPORTS ARTISTS OF AIL
BACKGROUNDS, ALL LIVING IN
HOUSTON, WHICH IS WHY I BROUGHT
THIS VARIETY TO THE CIT
>> DIVERSE.
>> DIVERSE CITY, DIVERSE ARTISTS
WORKING HERE.
BUT FOR ALL OF THE THIS
HOLIDAY ARENAATE.
>> , AND I THEN -- REASONS.
>> AND THIS IS THE CLASSIC --
>> THIS IS OF THE TRADITIONA
DECENT.
YOU'VE GOT CLASSIC IMAGERY.
THE VIRGIN MOTHER AND HER CHILD
AND HOME GROWN TOMATOES WHICH IS
PERSONAL TO THE ARTIST.
>> REALLY?
THAT'S INTERESTING.
>> AND MAYBE WE ALREADY
DISCUSSED THIS.
ARE ARTISTS SELLING THEIR PIECES
AT THESE EVENTS OR ARE THESE
JUST ON DISPLAY?
>> THEY'RE ON DISPLAY.
WE ARE A CONTEMPORARY ART
ORGANIZATION THAT DOES NOT SELL
WORK.
SO WE'RE NOT A GALLERY.
BUT FOR THIS SPECIFIC EVENT,
THESE WORKS WERE CREATED FOR A
FUND-RAISER THAT RAISES MONEY
FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROGRAM.
>> SO YOU HAVE EVENTS TONIGHT
AND ALSO TOMORROW NIGHT.
>> WE DO.
AND ALSO ON SATURDAY.
WE HAVE A LARGE FAMILY DAY
THAT'S THE MOST POPULAR EVENT BY
FAR.
BUT WE HAVE A WONDERFUL EVENT
TONIGHT THAT'S A LITERARY
MUSICAL THAT'S A COLLABORATION
OF LAWNDALE AND THE RIVER OAKS
CHAMBER ORCHESTRA.
>> AND I LOVE THAT IT'S FREE.
>> THERE'S THE INFO.
STARTS AT 6:00.
AND A FAMILY EVENT THAT EVERYONE
CAN ENJOY.
YOU CALL IT THE MUSICAL AND LIT
LITTERY A FRIENDA?
>> YES, IT MEANS OFFERING.
WE WORK WITH RIVER OAKS CHAMBER
ORCHESTRA TO BRING IN WRITERS
AND MUSICIANS TO CREATE SPECIFIC
PIECE.
>> AND I LOVE THAT YOU'RE
BRINGING IN LITERACY, BECAUSE
ACE NATIONAL FAMILY -- IT'S
NATIONAL FAMILY LITERACY DAY.
>> AND TOMORROW IS ANOTHER EVENT
THAT IS FREE.
TELL US ABOUT THAT.
>> WE ARE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO
COME TO THIS LECTURE WHEREBY AN
ARTISTS, SHE CREATED THIS IN OUR
GALLERIES AND FOR PEOPLE TO
LEARN ABOUT THE SYMBOLISM.
THE MARIGOLDS, ALL THE DISCUSS,
THE HISTORY AND SYMBOLISM OF THE
ALTAR.
>> FOR A Q & A AND A HISTORY
LESSON.
>> WITH THE ARTIST, EXACTLY.
>> STEPHANIE, SO IN TERMS OF THE
LAWNDALE ART CENTER'S MISSION,
TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT
WHAT YOU GUYS DO.
>> WE HAVE SUPPORTED ARTISTS
LIVING AND WORKING IN HOUSTON
FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS.
SO THE CONPROGRAM ART
INSTALLATIONS BY ARTISTS WHO
WORK IN PAINTING, CULTURE,
VIDEO, MIXED MEDIA.
WE'VE GOT FOUR DIFFERENT
GALLERIES AND A PROJECT FACE AND
AVENUE A RESIDENCY PROGRAM THAT
SUPPORTS THREE ARTISTS ANNUAL
FOR A NINE-MONTH PERIOD.
IT'S FABULOUS.
>> STEPHANIE MITCHELL, THANK YOU
SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> TO CHECK OUT THE LAWNDALE ART