A group of Mexican painters from Baja California have been exhibiting their works of art at the Mexican Consulate in the Westlake district west of Downtown as a part a campaign to emphasize the cultural presence of Mexico in Los Angeles.
Building Bridges is the name of the pictorial and sculptural exhibit that highlights the various techniques and styles of artists from the Baja Peninsula, which extends from the U.S.-Mexico border in California and south for approximately 1,000 miles.
The hope is that the exhibit will begin to build bridges between the countries in advance of a larger effort that's expected to include a series of cultural events throughout 2010," according to Mexico Consul General Juan Marcos Gutierrez Gonzalez.
A number of well-known artists, including Marco Miranda, attended the June 18 opening of the Building Bridges exhibit.
"For the artist, having direct links and having presence means a lot," said Miranda, a native of Hemosillo in the state of Sonora who now lies in Baja California. "It isn't easy, but at the same time it is simple."
Miranda said the exhibit offers a clear reminder that Mexican artists are still working despite the economic downturn.
"I can't complain," he said. "I'm presenting in San Diego, Tijuana and Mexicali."
The artist, who is also a professor, said that he still sells as much as past years and that currently he has more opportunities for standing out. His pieces range in price from $200 to $2000, and he says he has sold some 50 pieces so far this year.
"I believe that all painters have to go out, search and offer," he said, adding that people still have confidence in the value of art, which helps.
Alejandro Peña, another one of the participants in the collection, said that he's also managed to avoid the worst of the economic recession.
"It has gone well for me," said Peña, who comes from Monterrey in the state of Nuevo Leon but relocated to Tijuana in recent years. "This (art) is what I do and my work moves very well."
Peña said that for the artists it is a bridge that leads to other spectrums and gives them projection.
Other artists whose works are part of the exhibit include: Alejandra Phelts, Alejandro Martínez Peña, Armando Franco, Arturo Mora, Estela Hussong, Ismael Castro, Leonardo Torres, Luis Manuel Urrutia Fernández, Marco Miranda, Pablo Castañeda, Pedro Peralta, Ramón Carrillo Moreno, Roberto Rosique and Silvia Galindo Betancourt.
The Mexican Consulate is located at 2401 W. 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90057. Tel. (213) 351-6800.
Mireya Olivera is editor of Impulso.
Photos by Impulso
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