NUMINA FEMENINA: Latin Women in the Arts

Opening Reception
Thursday October 20, 2011
6:30 - 9pm
Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco
532 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA., 94105

This month of October I have worked on a piece called Wall Intervention at the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco. I have created a large wall charcoal drawing in the stairs of the building.

On view October 20 through December 13 at the Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco, the exhibit consists of 16 events involving 5 artistic disciplines. Numina Femenina celebrates women’s contribution to aesthetics and poetics, through literature, film, music, dance and visual arts. The key aspect of this ambitious project is making art more accessible to the community, by taking it out of conventional spaces such as museums and conference rooms.

Paz de la Calzada working on her wall drawing

The main exhibition, featuring a selection of video, installation, murals and more, will take place within the facilities of the Consulate General of Mexico, making the art accessible to everyone. The Latin women artists showing in Numina Femenina will be interacting with the public at the Consulate.

Dreamscape at the Strand Theatre

From April 18th to May 2nd I will be realizing a long time vision mural wrapping the Facade of the legendary Strand Theatre.  Ill be covering with charcoal part of the Strand. It will almost be like a meditation/performance as it will imply lots of fine strands made and lines. As many of you know, the Strand Theatre is located on Market St betwwen 7th and 8th, right across the street from the UN Plaza and the Farmers Market.

Built in 1917, the Strand became a legend. It went from projecting independent movies and venue for revival cinema to a porn theatre showing projected video. It also became a popular venue for midnight showings of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".

 The theatre deteriorated in the late '90 as it became a haven for crack dealers and hookers. It was closed in 2003. This was also the end to theatres that showed movies on Market Street.

This is the second year, Art in Storefronts  returns to Central Market with six storefront installations and five murals. The latest in The ARTery Project’s efforts to revitalize a once-vibrant commercial corridor, the program temporarily places original art installations by San Francisco artists in vacant and under-used storefront windows and exterior walls.

The new projects will be unveiled at a launch event on Friday, May 13, from 5−7 p.m., that will also include receptions at three neighborhood galleries, the debut of two sculptures made possible by Black Rock Arts Foundation, live music, and Off the Grid food trucks. The festivities will kick off outside of Gray Area Foundation for the Arts at 998 Market Street with an unveiling of two murals. Gamelan X, a Balinese fusion ensemble, will lead a procession up Market Street where the public may catch performances by the John Brothers Piano Company; the Jazz Sawyer Trio; and the Space Cowboys DJ Collective performing on their hi-tech mobile sound system called The Unimog at U.N. Plaza.

Central Market Dreamscape, Strand Theatre, San Francisco

Photography by Michael Rauner

Art On First, Napa

Last Friday February 25th was the Opening Reception for Art on First in Napa. Twenty artist from Napa and other places form the Bay Area created art installations that will be on display for eight months along Downtown Napa's up-and-coming First Street.

Wall Intervention #4. Charcoal, fabric and wire.

Wall Intervention # 4 is inspired by my fascination with patterns both from nature and the industrial world. This large-scale wall installation is profoundly influenced by its architectural space that is reinterpreted by drawing, painting, and adding sculptural elements directly on the wall. Unlike traditional murals, these Wall Interventions challenge some of the spatial boundaries of art. I am interested in art's relationship with the architecture around us, and I am powerfully moved by art's capacity to transform an urban environment. This work has an element of whimsy to it, playfully engaging with the space and creating a sense of wonder.

Kristine, the main orgenizer from the Napa Arts Council, in front of my storefront installation before the opening






For more information about the event go to www.napaartonfirst.com