Arbol de la Vida by Miguel Angel Gonzalez. Courtesy photo.
SANTA PAULA —The Santa Paula Art Museum’s exhibit, De Colores Art Show: Portraits of the Past, continues through Jan. 28, 2018.
The interactive exhibit unveils portraits by groundbreaking Latino and Latino American artists, including Carlos Almaraz, Judy Baca, Sergio Hernández, Gilbert “Magú” Luján, Sylvia Raz, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Eloy Torrez and more.
The De Colores Art Collection is part of the Santa Paula Art Museum’s larger permanent art collection and serves to acknowledge and preserve the contributions of Latino people and culture to our local region. The centerpiece of the collection – and the exhibition – is Miguel Angel González’ artist-themed “Árbol de la Vida (Tree of Life).” The four-feet-tall clay sculpture borrows from the traditional Mexican Tree of Life craft to illustrate the most famous works of some of Southern California’s most important Latino artists, many of whom are included in the Museum’s De Colores Collection. The sculpture will be accompanied by a digital guide to allow visitors to explore the tree in detail.
Untitled by Gilbert Magu Lujan. Courtesy photo
Portraits of the Past is presented as a brief survey of Latino art and history in Southern California. The story and significance of each artwork will be described alongside each image. While all of the artworks are portraits, the subjects vary from farmworkers and families to religious figures and surrealist self-portraits. Together, the images celebrate one of the major tenets of Latino art: It is art by the people, for the people and of the people. The exhibition further embraces this sense of social and collaborative art-making by inviting visitors to contribute to a community-made Tree of Life while considering themes of heritage, identity, and the traditions that connect us all. The exhibit is made possible through the support of sponsors Calavo, Clinicas del Camino Real, and La Cabaña.
The Santa Paula Art Museum, Jeanette Cole Art Center is located at 117 North 10th Street in beautiful downtown Santa Paula. The Museum features rotating exhibitions of vintage and contemporary art, educational programming for children and adults, artist talks and demonstrations, a gift shop, and more.
Regular admission is $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors, and is free for students and museum members. For more information, please contact the Museum at (805) 525-5554 or visit the Museum’s website at www.santapaulaartmuseum.org.