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December Issue 2004
Turchin Center in Boone, NC, Presents Contemporary
Hispanic and Latino Art
The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State University
in Boone, NC, which has enjoyed critical acclaim, strong community
support and record crowds since its opening in May of 2002, is
presenting its fourth major exhibition, Out of Bounds: Contemporary
Hispanic and Latino Art, on view through Jan. 29, 2005.
The unique collection by fourteen of today's most prominent artists
will be exhibited in the center's magnificent Martin and Doris
Rosen Galleries, and will showcase some of the best Hispanic and
Latino work created within the United States today. Artists' home
countries include Cuba, Venezuela, México, Brazil, Colombia,
Uruguay, Peru, and Spain.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to view a new exhibition
in the Turchin Center's Catwalk Community Gallery, featuring an
exciting array of works by local and regional Hispanic and Latino
artists.
Over the course of the exhibition, the Turchin Center's Community
Art School will provide a variety of hands-on education programs
for groups of all ages, revolving around the themes of the exhibition
programs in the Rosen and Catwalk Galleries.
Out of Bounds focuses on the work of contemporary artists
from Cuba, México, South America and Spain. "Like
many communities throughout the country,"
notes Turchin Center director and chief curator Hank Foreman, "our region has experienced an increase in the Hispanic and Latino population. These new residents positively impact our communities in many ways. Near the top of the list is a cultural infusion including the visual and performing arts."
Featured artists
include: Tito Alvarez (Cuba), Félix de la Concha (Spain),
Rufino del Valle Valdés (Cuba), Richard Garet (Uruguay),
Saskia Jordá (Venezuela), Helena (Brazil), Victoria Martin-Gilly
(Venezuela), Vivian Massry (México), Ramón Cabrales
Rosabal (Cuba), Maria Lucia Sarmiento (Colombia), Jaime Valero
(Spain), Ana Flores (Cuba), Waldo Vinces (Peru - Venezuela), and
Rodolfo Franco (Brazil). Several of these featured artists currently
reside in the United States, but the history, heritage, traditions,
and culture of their countries of origin continues to inform and
influence their work.
Writes artist Waldo Vinces of Peru, "Currently, I am working
on a series of paintings based on my experience as an immigrant.
They're intended to convey a sense of reflection and loneliness.
Bits and pieces of my life and collages into surfaces of drawings
and notes to myself - they personalize the image and give the
viewer a way into my world. While working, I discover meaning
and truth, a personal exploration of my surroundings and myself.
The drawing of the house represents my family, my childhood in
Peru, my high school days in Argentina and the many years in Venezuela
where I attended Architecture School before moving to the United
States almost ten years ago. The boat is my inner self, representing
the person who left everything behind to live the adventure of
conquering an unknown world that has now become my home."
Venezuela-born artist Victoria Martin-Gilly notes that "artistic
inspiration came to me when I was nine years old. Having a French-Italian
mother and a Spanish father, living in Venezuela and traveling
constantly to Europe, I started learning fundamentals in ceramics
in my mother's studio. The absorption of knowledge was further
enhanced with the company of my twin sister, Olga. We learned
to concentrate and focus on very detail-oriented work as well
as experimenting with different size brushes and apparatuses.
After moving to the United States ten years ago, I was no longer
in my 'comfort zone' so I started painting on paper and experimenting
first with conte and graphite and moving on to inks and acrylics.
My work generated during this time was a reflection of an adaptation
to my surroundings, as well as part of my identity development
as an immigrant in a new country."
Works by Cuban master photographer Tito Alvarez, who died in 2002,
will also be part of the Out of Bounds exhibition program.
As one art critic put it, "Photography is the least known
and yet one of the most revealing and instructive of the arts
through which revolutionary Cuba has reflected upon itself."
While photographers such as Raul Corrales and Alberto Diaz have
garnered acclaim in mainstream photography circles for their depictions
of the Revolution, it is Tito Alvarez who has captured the attention
of curators and professional photographers for his unique ability
to capture the "backbone of the Cuban Revolution - the streets,
the people, the less discussed currents of Cuban life."
Félix de la Concha, a Spanish painter residing in New Hampshire,
is known for undertaking outdoor painting cycles in locations
such as Columbus, OH; Madrid, Sevilla, and Santander in Spain;
and Rome and Orvieto in Italy. He often chooses a location or
building, painting it at different times of the year or times
of day, and from differing vantage points, thereby building a
panoramic analysis of the locations he selects, which become a
form of diary.
Brazilian photographer Helena writes "I was born in Rio de
Janeiro, Brasil. The images I've included here are a different
way of seeing the beauty of my country and its people. Each of
the images was taken at various street festivals or parties. Such
festivals are frequent and well-attended. Many of these parties
are religious in nature, where participants travel long distances
to workshop or communicate with Catholic saints. My country takes
up almost one-half of South America. We are over 175 million strong,
and Portuguese is our native language. We are known for our dominance
in world soccer, gorgeous beaches, romantic and soothing music
and extremely warm and friendly people. I hope you enjoy my photographs.
With luck, maybe they'll even inspire you to leave your troubles
behind and hop a plane to Rio you might decide never to return."
The Turchin Center's Community Art School will be offering a multitude
of educational and outreach activities for groups of all ages,
in conjunction with the center's featured exhibitions. The mission
of the Community Art School is to make the visual arts more accessible
to the greater Boone community by providing opportunities to experience
the visual arts in a personal and meaningful way.
The Community Art School's "Saturday Sessions" offer
fun and creative art activities revolving around the themes of
the featured exhibitions. Workshops are scheduled from 10am to
noon at the Turchin Center on Dec. 4 & 11 and are based on
the themes of the Out of Bounds exhibition program. Additional
sessions, with a dance focus, will be scheduled for Jan. 15, 22,
and 29, 2005.
Saturday Sessions topics include the following:
On Dec. 4 (for children ages 6-8): "Magic Tales of México"
with Josie Bortz, assisted by art education students; This workshop
provides a brief background of art in Latin America, focusing
on art of México. Participants will paint their own Talavera
style tile relating to the Magic Tales of México.
On Dec. 11 (for children ages 9-12): "Drawing Portraits"
with Una Pett, assisted by art education students; Drawing inspiration
from the Out of Bounds exhibition, participants will create
a unique portrait of someone they admire, fictional or otherwise.
The session focuses on how to position the body to give the portrait
character, and how to create imaginative and interesting compositions.
Group members are asked to bring photos or other memorabilia of
the person whose portrait they'll be creating - including objects
representing the subject's personality, wit, physical presence,
and work - to incorporate into the portrait.
On Jan. 15 (for children ages 6-8): "Moves From México"
with the Eugino Girls and Emily Daughtridge. Children will step
into fun as neighbors from the High Country's Latino/Hispanic
community share folk dances from their native México.
On Jan. 22 (for children ages 9-12): "Kicks for Kids"
with the Capoeira Group and Emily Daughtridge. Children will learn
moves from the High County's own Capoeira group, "Arte e
Movimento." Capoeira is a Brazilian movement form that's
part martial art, part dance, and all fun!
On Jan. 29 (for teens and adults): "Salsa Saturday"
with Ivette Rubio, Marta Perez Virella and Emily Daughtridge.
Adults and teens will spice up their Saturday mornings by learning
several Caribbean dance styles.
The registration fee for each workshop is $10 for Turchin Center
members, and $15 for non-members. To register, call the Turchin
Center at 828/262-3017.
The Turchin Center's popular (and free) "Lunch and Learn"
Series, scheduled from noon to 1pm on the third Wed. of the month
provides an opportunity for community members to bring a bag lunch
and attend lectures and presentations on various topics related
to current exhibition programs. Upcoming "Lunch and Learns"
are scheduled for Dec. 15 (Hispanic Holiday Foods), and
Jan. 19 (Dance Break with Emily Daughtridge and Ivette
Rubio).
In addition to the "Saturday Sessions" and "Lunch
and Learn" programs, the Community Art School also offers
specialized workshop programs geared to a variety of different
community groups. These include an Art After School Program for
children ages 6-12; a "Young at Art" series for elders;
a specialized program called "Express Yourself!" for
developmentally disabled children and adults; and "Art in
Support of Kids" for students in grades K-12 throughout the
region, as well as pre-school children and at-risk youth.
The Community Art School is supported by a grant from the Helen
M. Clabough Charitable Foundation. The Out of Bounds exhibition
program received support from the North Carolina Arts Council,
with funding from the State of North Carolina and the National
Endowment for the Arts.
The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, located in the heart of
downtown Boone, is devoted specifically to exhibition, education
and outreach programs in the visual arts. Exhibits focus on a
blend of new and historically important artwork, and feature works
of nationally and internationally renowned artists, as well as
many of the finest artists of the region. The spectacular Martin
and Doris Rosen Galleries, and the studios and outdoor sculpture
gardens which comprise the facility provide a dynamic setting
for the viewing and enjoyment of art.
For additional info check our NC Institutional Gallery listings,
or call the Center at 828/262-3017 or at (www.turchincenter.org).
Carolina Arts is published monthly by Shoestring Publishing Company, a subsidiary of PSMG, Inc. Copyright© 2004 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts from Jan. 1995 - Dec. 1996. It also publishes Carolina Arts Online, Copyright© 2004 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved by PSMG, Inc. or by the authors of articles. Reproduction or use without written permission is strictly prohibited. Carolina Arts is available throughout North & South Carolina.