Latino Arts, Inc. invites you to view our tour of the latest exhibit, I Have Been a Stranger In My Own Land, by Carlos Barberena. Through satirical relief prints, images from pop culture, and depictions of political and cultural tragedies, Barberena reflects on his personal experience as an immigrant and the cycles of repression and resistance in Nicaragua. Not only is his art a form of healing and self-expression, but also a powerful instrument to facilitate conversation, denounce injustice, and inspire change. His detailed prints capture the grief, heartache, perseverance, and hope of the immigrant experience.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Barberena is a Nicaraguan self-taught Printmaker based in Chicago, where he runs the printmaking projects: Bandolero Press & La Calaca Press. His work evokes themes of his experience living during the Diaspora: dictatorship, revolution, erasure, repression, renewal, and hope.

Mauricio Ramirez is a prolific muralist with large-scale works throughout the United States. Latino Arts is proud to present Poly-wave: Seeds of Color and Shape, a solo exhibition featuring new works by Ramirez.

In this exhibit, he continues to evolve his colorful and geometry-based style and he explores his Mexican American cultural roots and other influences within his creative process.

This is an exhibit not to be missed as Ramirez brings his work indoors on a smaller scale but continues to carry a monumental presence through color and shape.

ARTIST STATEMENT
"I create artwork that crosses borders and boundaries. Whether negotiating the identities of clients or corporations, or the intimacies of cultural characteristics within neighborhoods, attention is facilitated with an acute awareness that art in the public space permeates the subconscious. My more personal artwork is a contribution to the community; frequently a cultural icon that transcends rich intersecting historical popular culture references that speak to the complex diaspora of the United States. I wholeheartedly believe in the importance of how the visibility of culture can lead to not only the growth of confidence but also care within our communities." - Mauricio Ramirez

This powerful exhibit, curated by LUNA co-founder Katie Avila Loughmiller, composed of artists and friends of LUNA (Latinas Unidas en las Artes), explores what it means to be Latinx in the United States. Each piece is a personal representation of identity and culture through the eyes of the artist, demonstrating that there is no one-size-fits-all description for the Latinx population. The exhibit faces the struggle and balance between finding camaraderie and community in the similarities between different Latinx cultures, and the fight against unique identities within the Latinx culture that are being erased.

About LUNA:
Latinas Unidas en las Artes (LUNA) began after an honest conversation between co-founders Katie Avila Loughmiller and Gabriela Riveros. Passionate about increasing Latinx representation in Milwaukee art organizations, they decided to carve out space in this city’s art scene. Together they began to build a group of artists that has now become a collective with over 30 members. Since 2017, LUNA has curated a multitude of exhibitions, community events, and elevated the platform for Latinx artists in our community. Most recently LUNA, has been selected into this year's Pop-UP MKE program.

On View: March 5 – June 4, 2021

Latino Arts, Inc. invites you to view our latest exhibit Los Rostros Ocultos | The Hidden Faces by Angelica Contreras in this Exhibit Tour! Throughout the tour, Contreras talks about her work and how the relationships between tradition, identity, and pop culture are all fused into her pieces.

Growing up in the United States and Mexico provided her a rich palette of imagery, as well as that from other cultures. As in most of her work, there is an element of nostalgia present in its layers, sometimes reminiscing about childhood or adolescence or even a certain culture and its traditions.

The use of collaged material such as origami paper, magazine, and comic book cut-outs, to name a few, provide a palette of colors and textures for the subject's surroundings. As these pieces are worked, the patterns and colors of the printed material come together in a sort of puzzle in which the painted figures emerge.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Angelica Contreras was born in Whittier, California and moved to Guadalajara, Jalisco at an early age. There, she began studying printmaking at the Instituto Cabañas as well as in other local artist workshops. Later on, she attended the University of Guadalajara, receiving a B.A. in art in 2008 and a Masters in Art Education in 2016. Her artwork has been shown in exhibitions in Mexico and in the U.S.. She is a member of Colectivo Synapsis, a group of Latino artists that focus on social justice projects that impact communities in Southeastern Wisconsin. She currently lives and works in Madison, WI, where she continues to create and showcase her art.

For more information, we invite you to visit: https://www.latinoartsinc.org/exhibits/los-rostros-ocultos-the-hidden-faces/

Exhibit Tour with Artist Commentary Tickets: $25

Latino Arts, Inc. invites you to view our latest exhibit Los Rostros Ocultos | The Hidden Faces by Angelica Contreras in this Virtual Exhibit Tour! View Angelica Contreras' pieces which feature the use of collaged material such as origami paper, magazine, and comic book cut-outs, to name a few, provide a palette of colors and textures for the subject's surroundings. As these pieces are worked, the patterns and colors of the printed material come together in a sort of puzzle in which the painted figures emerge.

For more information, we invite you to visit: https://www.latinoartsinc.org/exhibits/los-rostros-ocultos-the-hidden-faces/

Virtual Exhibit Tour Tickets: $5

To view a more extensive exhibit tour that features Angelica Contreras' commentary on her work, check out "Los Rostros Ocultos Virtual Exhibit Tour with Artist Commentary."
https://latinoartsinc.anywhereseat.com/access.php?event_id=11021

Join us as we celebrate 50 years of art by Milwaukee's very own Reynaldo Hernandez. Latino Arts, Inc. is proud to exhibit a retrospective of his indelible contributions to the arts echo system in Milwaukee and beyond. Mr. Hernandez is responsible for many of Milwaukee's iconic murals that go beyond being public art and have been adopted as part of our cityscape an identity. As murals enjoy a renaissance in Milwaukee, we are thrilled to exhibit Mr. Hernandez's work, as his murals have been a part of our communities for many years. We celebrate and thank him for his long trajectory as an artist and his many murals that have inspired so many of us and will continue to inspire many more for years to come.

Join Jacobo Lovo, our Managing Artistic Director, on a Virtual Gallery Tour of our Día de los Muertos Ofrendas Exhibit!

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a Mexican celebration, is a day to celebrate, remember, and prepare special foods in honor of those who have departed. On this day in Mexico, the streets near the cemeteries are filled with decorations of papel picado, flowers, candy calaveras (skeletons and skulls), and parades. In order to celebrate, the families make altars and place ofrendas (offerings) of food such as pan de muertos baked in shapes of skulls and figures, candles, incense, yellow marigolds known as cemazuchitl (also spelled zempasuchil) and most importantly a photo of the departed soul is placed on the altar. Our Día de Los Muertos Ofrendas exhibit will feature installations from The Mexican Consulate, University School of Milwaukee and other local artists!