Last night I was watching TV Nacional de Chile and the ending of the series Grandes Chilenos, that featured the artista Violeta Parra. It was incredibly moving and also sad. Sad because she came in last place in terms of being considered an important Chilena and how that related to her entire life and ultimately to her death by her own hands. Most of her "professional success" was found outside of her homeland and she struggled to sustain her soul as a mujer artista, as a Chilena facing the injustices of the trabajador. She was a voice reflecting the realities of struggle, both personal and political and the space where they intersect.

Yours truly, Maegan la Mala, is a featured poet at one of the events and will attend as many events as I can (Before I was Blogger, activist, and Mami, I was a poet).

Hope to see some of you there.

One art exhibition in Denver now through the end of the month, seeks to answer that question through the lens of 6 Denver area Latino artists.

Chicano Humanities Arts Council Presents
Artistas Revolucionarios Aug. 1-30 in Denver
A daring palette, subversive strokes and renegade self-expression are characteristics of Artsitas Revolucionarios; a slightly less than seditious show on display through August that showcases the talent of six emerging and established Denver Latino/a artists.
The work, which includes a superb collection of colorful paintings, drawings and jewelry, serves as a glorious reminder of the vibrant cultural art scene our city has to offer.

Los artistas are CHAC Board Members Tony Vecchio, Danny Vigil (website), Javier Flores and Jeanette Montoya; CHAC's Education Director, Veronica Herrera; and this year the show includes CHAC member JOLT.

VivirLatino is going to check out the exhibit when we're in Denver.

You can find out more about the exhibit here.

The exhibit, on view at the top floor of the MOMA through September 15, features 130 paintings, drawings, scenarios, films, and sculptures by Dalí. It is really interesting to see how the same themes and images: melting clocks, cut eyeballs, and ants, appear across the different mediums. Among the films being shown is Un Chien andalou, made with Luis Buñuel, featuring an unforgettable and cringe worthy eyeball cutting scene.

The painting "The Watermelon Eater" sold today for a final price of 3.6 million dollars, with commission included, during a Latin American art auction in Sotheby's New York headquarters.

Via / El Universal

As it is the Latin American tradition, El Museo Gala’s fifteenth birthday will be celebrated in the style of a quinceañero; this is a coming-of-age party for a daughter turning fifteen. For this gala, guests are invited to wear white or black (with long gloves and tiaras optional).
El Museo will honor Dr. Mario Vargas Llosa, Ambassador Paul L. Cejas and Mrs. Trudy Cejas, and Mr. Angel Collado-Schwarz of Fundación Voz del Centro. Special guests will include Miss Universe, Riyo Mori; Miss Teen USA, Hilary Cruz; and the newly crowned Miss USA, and they will be wearing their tiaras.

Tufiño, known as el pintor del pueblo, was born in Brooklyn, but lived in Viejo San Juan. His mark in the NY Rican community is huge as demonstrated by being a founder of Taller Boricua, a workshop and art collective started in East Harlem in 1970, and was also influential in the establishment of El Museo del Barrio.

The theft of the paintings was a major embarrassment for the museum. First because they were stolen in the first place and second because the paintings weren't insured and there was no alarm system in the museum.

The two paintings are said to be worth at least $55 million.

The New York Times has a beautiful slide show of the new wing, including photos of its construction and the story behind it.

The interior looks lovely but the exterior sticks out like a sore thumb in my opinion.

"My Sweet Lord," an anatomically correct milk chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ that infuriated Catholics before its April unveiling was canceled, returns Oct. 27 to a Chelsea art gallery, its creator said Tuesday.

This time, artist Cosimo Cavallaro said he expects the public exhibit to proceed without a problem.

"There is nothing offensive about this," Cavallaro said of his controversial confectionary work. "If my intentions were to offend, if I did do something wrong, I wouldn't be doing this. But I didn't do anything wrong."

Cavallaro, who received death threats before the April show was canceled, said the vast majority of his mail was in support of his six-foot piece.

AP reports that the exhibit, to be held at the Proposition Gallery in New York City, will also feature chocolate Virgin Marys and Saints.

Via / Yahoo! Entertainment

Tonight: In Brooklyn's lovely Prospect Park bandshell Spain's The Pinker Tones, Monterrey's acclaimed vocalist Chetes (of Zurdok and Vaquero fame) and Mexico’s popular alterna-rockers, Zoé (and the suggested donation is only $3). For directions click here.

Calle 13 is playing in Times Square at the Nokia Theater.

Brooklyn's a little far for me and I didn't get Calle 13 tix so I'll be staying closer to home in Queens to catch a little Brazilian flavor via the Queens Museum of Art Passport Fridays.

In the United States, an exhibit of 45 oil painting will tour the Walker Art Centre in Minneapolis, the MOMA in San Francisco and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington will show 10 of her letters and 25 unpublished photos of personal items. In New York, the Cafe Frida restaurant and the Leo Matiz Foundation will present an exhibit of photos of Friday taken by Matiz. In Brazil there will be a play by Maura Baiocchi: Frida Kahlo - A woman of stone gives birth at night.

The biggest examples of aggression happened on the East side of the building, next to the Alameda Central park and at one of the entrances in which the protestors alternated between chants against the President and in favor of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and insults towards those who were going in: "¡lambiscones!" "¡cucarachas!" y "¡lamehuevos del espurio!"