MujerARTES is a women's art cooperative in the Westside, offering pottery classes to low-income women. The women's Bible study at our church had gathered there last week for their monthly dinner and lectio reading, and I bicycled over to spend the evening with them.
The proprietor of MujerARTES graciously allowed me to take photos, a privilege which I probably abused snapping pictures of everything that caught my eye - which, in this house, could be almost everything.
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| A Tree of Life, one of many created at MujerARTES. |
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| This artist created many such ceramic dolls. |
Needless to say, the art produced by the women of MujerARTES is stupendous. Much of it incorporates personal themes and stories from the women's pasts, such as the above plate, in which the artist depicted a scene from her childhood: girls riding about on a Tonka truck while a younger brother prefers a doll.
The art is heavily grounded in cultural imagery: religious icons, scenes from San Antonio, and a plethora of skulls and skeletons. Characteristic of Mexican art, nearly everything is painted in lush, vivid colors.
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| "Princess Life" |
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| Super Skeleton Virgin |
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| Another Tree of Life, depicting the artists' family. |
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| "Me with my peanut-style braids; my friends and I going to school" |
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| This is one of my favorite pieces. |
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| "Who am I?" An artist deals with gender. |
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| Sassy mermaids |
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| Detail from a Tree of Life depicting MujerARTES. At the time this piece was put together, one of the members had just given birth. |
What I love most about MujerARTES is that it provides a space for women who would otherwise lack the opportunity to have an outlet for creative expression. Access to art learning gives them the opportunity to tell their stories, translating memories and feelings into a tangible form of expression. How much better off would we all be if we had an outlet like this for our thoughts and creativity?
Until next time,
Caro
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