Hello everyone!

I hope you are all enjoying a relaxing weekend — or a very fun and exciting one! Checkout a blast of colorful revery in an exhibition of new friends I met at: “A Todo Color: In Full Color” who traveled from Corpus Christi and other places to…you guessed it, right here in New York City’s Chelsea District! >>>

I’d first like to state that the ladies I had the absolute pleasure of getting to know last night are some of the most down to earth examples of people who are open to new possibilities in the human sociological experience. I suppose what I’m simply referring to is that I can relate. It felt as though I was visiting distant relatives who receive us even after long periods of separation. You know the kind (I hope!), those who never close their doors on us, no matter what. I was so glad to sense a sincere, welcoming feeling – como familia verdadera! (Just like real family!) They bring their boldly colored expressions along with other Artists in their group for a spectacular showcasing of “Chicano Art and Beyond.”

These wonderful people, beautiful from the inside-out  are the Artists exhibiting in A Todo Color/ In Full Color. Many of them are Art Professors and teachers in their respective communities. They embody the spirit of taking one’s knowledge and experiences and enriching future generations by sharing with grace.

Speaking of Grace, the awesome lady who brought this brilliant group of Artists together is named Graciela Barraza-Vega, known also as Grace. She certainly is a gracious woman, artist, friend, hostess and more, whom is full of rich qualities which are respected among her peers and colleagues.

The Event is hosted by Susannah Pearlman of New York City art circles and listed as follows in their Events page on FaceBook:

November 9-16, 2014
Opening Reception: November 14th @6-9 pm
CHECK OUT NEW SPACE
1315 Studios
15 W. 28th St. #8th FL
NYC, NY
1-800-420-5590
Daily Hours 3-7 pm

Brilliant pieces in the exhibition reflect a very personal tone of what many media channels refer to nowadays (quite often) as the human experience. I like that. Not the repetition of the phrase “human experience,” mind you – but the actual feel you get for a work of art created in that vein…through a sincere passion from experiences expressed visually or otherwise.  If you happen to catch this exhibition, you’ll know what I mean. It will be up through November 16th. 2014, so hurry on over before you miss it!

Referring to the Spanglish I sometimes spew forth without shame, my newfound friends and I chatted for quite a while in what can be defined as familiar grounds. It was plain to see que there was nothing wrong being yourself amongst nuevas amigas making new ligas a toda madre! That’s absolutely a great way for me to describe their amazing artworks, actually: muy gorgeous y acolorido. Some of the ladies told me how they loved my Cuban accent, one I hardly ever notice. Yet, I am proud of my heritage and don’t mind the accent. It is after all, a small piece of that heritage my parents took the care to teach us all about. In the spirit of not leaving things unsaid, I’d like to relay to those awesome ladies, that their Spanglish and accent is one I love to hear, as well! We who are immigrants or descendants of any country should remain glad and proud of our roots. That point is important, for me-heritage remains as long as we carry it throughout our subsequent generations. It’s what makes up our amazing “melting pot” of cultures in this and any country. In our case, we may be culturally defined as Latinas- and with pride, I’ll take that! To complete this article, I add a statement that one of the Artists expressed:  “How beautiful it is to see so many different cultures here in New York City.  Perhaps not quite as much in Corpus Christi (Texas).” I wondered if that was because many cultures tend to congregate and settle amongst our own peoples when leaving our mother lands and raise our children in these “safety nets” we might create. That we’ve suffered many obstacles, including integration is true. That we continue to explore outside of our own circles, is important to me and commendable for everyone.

Thank you VIP Artists for receiving me as your own! I hope you enjoyed learning and experiencing New York City with me and that it won’t be the last time we meet.

Now then, please enjoy a few pictures from the A Todo Color/ In Living Color Exhibition and thank you for visiting! >>>