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Lawndale Art Center’s “Día de los Muertos”

Texas artists make retablos art

A A A Comments By Olivia Flores Alvarez Thursday, Oct 18 2007

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Lawndale Art Center asked artists across Texas to create art based on traditional Mexican retablos (personal devotionals remembering a dead loved one). Nationally known artists including The Art Guys, Dixie Friend Gay and Jesus Moroles as well as up and coming talent such as Nina Craig, Bill Davenport, and Dawolu Jabari Anderson, all answered the call. The result is the “20th Annual Día de los Muertos” exhibition with more than 300 retabloson display. While some continue the Mexican traditions of tin paintings, skeletons, and marigolds, other artists are more contemporary and abstract. Ron Arena, an artist who has participated in the exhibit the last six years, says, “the retablo format is being stretched to its limits. I come from a Spanish and Italian descent, so I grew up with this imagery…the little shrines to the saints, all the candles and all that biz, so I have a more traditional approach to these things. I still have a reverence for the imagery. Some artists are really pushing the envelope, but that’s fine — that’s art.” See what the edge of the envelope looks like 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays. 4912 Main Street. For information, call 713-528-5858 or visit www.lawndaleartcenter.com. Free.
Tuesdays-Saturdays. Starts: Oct. 23. Continues through Nov. 27, 2007