1 Degree from Fame

Right now, the rage in Latino/Hispanic media seems to be Time's magazine pick of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America. While many have commented on Time magazine's more mainstream picks on the blogosphere and internet, I was suprised and delighted to see that Time had picked contemporary latin art curator Mari Carmen Ramirez from the Museum of Fine Art of Houston (not New York! not San Francisco! not L.A.!) to be on their list. Then, the name struck a cord. Where do I know this woman from? I know that name on a personal level and not just from the news. Whosh! I am taken taken back to my freshman year of college at UT-Austin where I began my first work-study job at The Blanton Museum of Art. And then I remembered, Mari Carmen Ramirez, curator of Latin American Art (now former curator). I used to see her setting up exhibits and carrying piles of materials, usually with the help of a curator assistant. I remembered I wanted to apply for that assistant job but did not qualify as a lower classman. To me she was just soo cool because had the coolest job and was doing the coolest things. From her exhibits and from the education I obtained from a course in Latin American modern art, I was able to emerse myself in the art of Latin America. My perspective had extended beyond the world of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera and I embraced the South American Avant Garde and Contemporary artists, like Joaquín Torres García, Cildo Meireles, Luis Felipe Noé, Fernando Botero and Liliana Porter. Even today, I can decipher much influence from Latin American artists in my own college work. I am very proud of Time magazine's choice to have Mari Carmen Ramirez on their list. Hardly will you hear of a latina in the visual arts sector get recognized on such a national level (and from Texas no the less!). I doubt she'll read this, but congratulations and I hope that her work will continue to influence more people about art and latin culture everyday!