Okay...
Two new art outreach projects under my belt...
I won't elaborate for now...
don't want to jinx anything...

But for sure here is some stuff I am ready to talk about.

I am poor. I am an artist. I am not starving..expect maybe for some Austin Kerby Lane gueso (hmmm...) but I am close to not being able to go to the movies 16 atleast once a week (as Brownsville tradition goes for most people here)..Discount Movies 10 will be my new got to movie home.

So if anyone needs an artist or wants to buy some art cheap...I am your go to artist!

Oh and I also want to be a cobbler's apprentice! I want to learn how to fix shoes, atleast until I can go and learn how to make them in Italy. Then my friend Susan and I will go on to conquer the shoes and accesssories (or as we like to call it shoe and purse) world and give Louis Vuitton and Manolo Blahnik a run for their stilletos.

I also have a lot of stuff to catch up on...but the self loathing, feeling sorry for yourself, recent college graduate who can't find a job, seen every episode of Lizzie McGuire lifestyle has caught up with me. I recently had an interview but it went bad when I went into a coughing fit mid-interview. I have been sick for about two weeks now and have had 5 shots (big ol' Mexican needle ones with oil based liquids! Major Freaking Ouch!), yet no final clearance from sporadic coughing fits. My mom will be closing the family business pretty soon too. A bittersweetness lingers through out our days. So here is my plan:

1. Stop making excuses....as I have done so in the paragraph above
2. If I cannot find a job by the end of this month, apply for the Teaching Sequence at UT-Brownsville
3. Help my mom out as much as possible to make the transition from business owner to real estate investor
4. Have a garage sale! YAY! That means finally clearing out the den of my piles and boxes of college stuff
5. Jog in the mornings...I can't afford a gym membership yet and traffic sucks. I think I can jog within the time it would take me to get to the gym and back driving in Brownsville
6. Work on my projects..that I will not elaborate on...
7. Work on my art, try to exhibit and sell it
8. Finish up paperwork and correspodence
9. Give our dog Curly a much needed bath and haircut
10. Clean my cat Leo's litterbox
11. Clean my room
12. Mow the lawn
13. Clean my car
14. Cook dinner more often and perfect my mother's fidello
15. Write a story or column
16. Become a cobbler's apprentice

15 steps to my goal...my goal being a better life...
Ah! Why does the better life require so many steps...let's face it I think our pets have it made.
without an ounce of work, they have acquired lives with no credible conscience to burden them in air conditioned homes, free meals and water, lots of attention and get don't have to clean up their own bowel movements. Now that is living.

Two exciting events are coming to the Rio Grande Valley pretty soon:

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The Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center presents:

13th Annual
Narciso Martinez Conjunto Festival
September 17, 18 & 19, 2004

225 E. Stenger Street
San Benito, Texas

Enjoy three days of live Texas-Mexico
conjunto music, dancing, food and beverage.
Admission is $1.00 each day,
children under 12 free.

Friday 7:00 PM
Conjunto Heritage Taller
Bene Medina y su Conjunto
Nick Villarreal y su Conjunto

Saturday 5:00 PM
Ramiro Cavazos y Los Donnenos
Amadeo Flores
Conjunto Atzlan
Joel Guzman & the Mexican Roots Trio
Oscar Hernandez & the TUFF Band

Sunday 4:00 PM
Los Fantasmas del Valle
Gilberto Perez y Sus Compadres
Los Angeles del Sur
Los Dos Gilbertos
Ruben Vela y su Conjunto

(956) 361-0110

Schedule is subject to change.

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CineSol Film Festival

"The CineSol Latin Film Festival is an event that showcases the very best in Latino American Film and Video creation. The traveling Festival literally makes its way throughout South Texas spanning two weeks, celebrating and awarding achievement in the art of filmmaking. The Cinesol Latin Film Festival is dedicated to furthering the art, craft and business of writers and filmmakers and recognizing their artistic contributions in the Latino community. Cinesol supports the work of aspiring and established filmmakers by enhancing public awareness to their artistic endeavors and by encouraging dynamic and long-lasting community alliances.

CineSol made its historic debut in September 1993 in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month. It provided the Texas Border Region with its first film festival ever, including cultural art events in the Mexican cities of Matamoros. Reynosa and Tamaulipas. CineSol has traveled throughout the region, bringing the Latino voice and vision through film and video directly to their prospective communities.

This year's premiere weekend will be held in McAllen, Texas. In the weeks to follow, the festival will travel to Harlingen, Texas and will culminate in Brownsville, Texas. There will be screenings at area theatres, museums, libraries, universities, and social service organizations as part of its Community Outreach component. "

borrowed from the cinesol website

Appropriation At Its Best

A breath of fresh air and a dose of humor, even it is weird:

Away from the gruesome news of bad politics, terrorism, war and court cases that have been given more attention than needed, there has been reports of an actual killing of a Chupacabra ( the infamous "goat-sucker") by a rancher in Elmendorf, Texas, a small town southeast of San Antonio. Here is a webpage that has the best coverage I have been able to find.

Brownsville has it fair share of stories of the paranormal, from a haunted university to UFO sightings, oddly slain cattle, a giant flying dinosaur, duendes (little green men), brujas (witches), lechusas (large white owls), you name it...someone has some paranormal story to tell and claim to be true. Call it rural or urban myths, people in Brownsville love to tell stories (or as we call "cuentos") and it is perhaps the strongest hertiage and cultural resource that has sustained assimilation. The stories live on and in most people's hearts are true. If you have someone from Brownsville in your presence, you will have a story or three to keep you all chilled or thrilled. And for the most part with my experience with people from my town, we like to talk about it, even if we go to bed a bit scared at night, even if you've heard the cuento for the 12th time.

So about this Chupacabra report, is it the real dog-gone truth? Perhaps it is. I say why not? If there are thousands of species of animals that have yet to be discovered in the Amazon Rainforest, then why not one in our very own backyard? Looking at the pictures, it is easy to see how one can exagerate the description to resemble an alien from Mars, reminiscent to me of the disney cartoon Stich of "Lilo and Stich". (I would not be suprised if Disney cartoonists used the Chupacabra sketches to design a cuddlier alien like Sitch.) It is a wide known fact that under shock or fear, one tends to exagerrate the physical description of something or someone they saw, a fact that investigators always bring to mind when interviewing witnesses or when trying to come up with a visual profile or sketch. See for yourselves.

Here is the picture of the animal killed by the rancher in Elmendorf:


From a paranormal resource, here is an earlier artist's rendition based on witness reports:


Here is a picture of 'Stich", from "Lilo and Stich":


So there you go folks. You can take this news of the weird as however you wish. Just keep the stories going.

I love my town, but lately two words have crosssed my mind many a time.
NOVA SCOTIA.

The heat is unbearable sometimes. Yes, why not move to land of Leif Erickson and blissful canadian summers? Atleast, for the summer that is.

Yup. I know I have been grumbling a bit. The job hunt has been pretty straining and I know this is the situation almost everywhere. So I will forge ahead into an undetermined future for my career. I will try to put up info about art soon. Ciao ciao!

As La Canicula nears it mid-point, the summer heat is getting bad. It's enough to keep me constrained to indoor activities in exception to the occasional trip to the island. For instance today, my mom and I really wanted to go to Matamoros to check out the tellas (fabric) stores to look for curtains for our newly renovated office. Down the grapeline we heard that there was a huge line of traffic back in the USA. Any native knows that being stuck in traffic at the bridge during the summer heat is no enjoyable experience. It is hell and the constant fear and likely threat that you engine will heat up, gas run out or that your antifreeze dry are just a few things that keep your anxiety rolling as you slowly sludge towards your American destination.

So instead we went to Harlingen to Hobby Lobby. The construction on the highway 77 is pretty scary to drive through at times and then there is always someone in a huge truck or SUV tailgating you even though you are doing about 70mph in a 50mph zone and you can't obviously move because there is a car in the left lane that won't budge by ignoring the fact that it has a line of cars tailgating behind him. So there is a truck tailgating you pushing 72mph and a slow car ahead of you doing exactly 49pmh in the left lane that is blocking you from reaching your destination, the right lane where you could do a comfortable 55-60 mph if you could only get ahead of the group of slow drivers in that lane as well. Tis a fine art- driving on US-77. It is getting just as bad as I-35, sometimes even worse, just because the car manners here are not as polite.

Alas, we did not find the fabric we desired but I did by a pair of awesome red buckeld heels at Ross. I love my shoes! I am wearing them now before I go to bed. YAY red shoes!

Hola Hola.
Sorry it's been a while. Have been a bit busy with the family, renovating a bedroom in the house into an office, helping out with the family business and develpoing some investments. Also, the job hunt is keeping me at bay. I also got to attend La Ley concert last, last Saturday and a free Aleks Syntek concert in Matamoros this past Thursday. They both were AWESOME AWESOME shows. Ely Guerra and Control Machete also came to McAllen with Cafe Tacuba this past Saturday but I disappointingly missed that show. The thought of it makes me want to hit my head on the wall but I was busy putting a wood floor into the new office and it was butt-kicking work. If you have ever tried to put in illaminated wood floor, then you must know what I am talking about. The Kumbia Kings were also in town this Saturday.

So what I know about art events:

The Cuatro del Valle show is still up at the Narciso Martinez Center in San Benito. The opening reception was good and I was able to get my books signed by all four artists. Go check it out because the pieces are very well composed and each reflects a personal style that contributes and derives from the Chicano experience in the Rio Grande Valley. Xavier Garza's painting style struck me most because it reminded me of another artist, Verdirosi, whose exhibtion I went to in Orvieto, Italy. Their scenes are narrative and figuratively stylized like a cartoon, which casts a lighter tone to their paintings. It would have been awesome if they could also have sold some prints at the show.

I also briefly read about an art exhibition at Imagenes Studio at Paseo Plaza which is located on FM801 past Bennigans.

The musical "Hair!" will be playing at the Camille Lightner Playhouse. Their website is located on the links list so check it out for more info.

Okay, gotta go. Sorry I am a bit dried up in info and out of loop. I will try to juice it up more next posting. TTFN!

There is an art opening occuring this upcoming Saturday at the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center. Here are some links to sites about the artists so you can have a sneak preview as to what you may encounter at the show.

I plan to go but I may not be able to because my Dad wants to take a quickie trip to Puebla all of sudden. But if I do go, count on a whole review of the event to be posted.

Another detail I thought I should point out, but I was only able to find one link about artist Celina Hinojosa. I found a whole lot more info for the male artists....hmmmm. Not that I want to start pointing a feminist finger, because one of the most prominent Chicano artists is a woman. All of a sudden, I just became more interested in looking into the Valley art scene concerning women. This may not even be an issue of gender but more of lack of technological access. But who knows what one may find out. :::wheels turning in head:::

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Sat. July 10th, 6:00 pm - "Cuatro del Valle" group art show
Xavier Garza:
http://www.gallista.com/garza
http://www.lapena-austin.org/english/events/xaviergarza.html
Celina Hinojosa:
http://latinoartcommunity.org/community/ChicArt/ArtistDir/CelHin.html
Luis Valderas:
http://latinoartcommunity.org/community/2004AILAF/Auction/lotpages/LuiVal.html
http://latinoartcommunity.org/community/2004AILAF/Auction/lotpages/LuiValLosTres.html
http://www.panam.edu/news/index.cfm?newsid=2312&curtype=release&curbar=news
Carlos Gomez:
http://blue.utb.edu/cgomez/New%20Gomez%20site.html
http://www.nuevosantander.com/gomez.htm

Opening reception and book signing of Chicano Art for our Millennium.
http://www.asu.edu/brp/newandforthcoming/MillBook.html

Book reading by Xavier Garza - Creepy Creatures and other Cucuys.
http://latinoartcommunity.org/community/OnlineCom/Events/2004-Events/2004-March.html

YAY!
I got the links up! If anyone has a link they would like to be added let me know.
Email me by clicking here.

I am interested in posting links to sites about valley artists, arts and culture organizations, etc...
If your site has something of interest to Brownsville or the Rio Grande Valley/Rio Bravo Frontera Region or if you are a Brownsville/Frontera native who has a site or weblog you want to share, then let me know!

***Links will be posted with discretion. The Art of Brownsville WILL NOT post links to web pages that discriminate regarding race, ethnicity, creed, color, national origin, language or native tongue, sex, age, disability, marital status or sexual orientation.

I know the red-tape is a downer, but for the most part this blog will remain an inclusive forum where all people can feel comfortable to get a cultural fix. That doesn't mean that there will be no room for discussion and commentary. If there is one thing that I strongly believe about art is in its ability to allow artists and its audience a forum upon which to create discussion and evaluation, and for the most part it is an inclusive medium that allows all sorts of perspectives, conclusions and analysis upon it. What is also so great about art is that you can change your mind about it later if you want, which won't usually come back to bite you.

For example, I was reading the commentary section in today's Brownsville Herald editorial page and was pleased with the replies people sent in concern to a viewpoint entry about a certain liberal columnist from the New York Times. So far, the Herald has not posted the replies online but from what I can recall, there were two replies commending the Herald for providing the public with columns from different points of view. In my opinion, I don't think there can ever be a political comment without a biased perspective. It's the ugly game of political public relations. So in awareness of this, I would better appreciate an editorial forum that can provide me with as many different perspectives from all sides of the political spectrum, thus allowing me to make my own decision as to what I want to believe. That people, is the beauty of democracy, that is freedom...give me the beautiful and the bad, the Michael Moores and Rush Limbaughs, The Herald and El Rocinante, The New York Times and The Washington Post, the Renaissance Art and the Avant Garde! I am sounding like a Walt Whitman knock-off. ::chuckle::

So on the topic of Renaissance Art, here is another more controversial example of appreciated democracy that just knocked my shoes this week. Dan Brown's novel The DaVinci Code generated an incredible amount of response among the religous community and public for the controversial theories it reveals in concern to the origins of organized Judeo-Christian religion. Here is a snippet from an interview on the Da Vinci Code website:

"THE TOPIC OF THIS NOVEL MIGHT BE CONSIDERED CONTROVERSIAL. DO YOU FEAR REPERCUSSIONS?
I can't imagine why. As I mentioned earlier, the theory I reveal is one that has been whispered for centuries. It is not my own. Admittedly, this may be the first time the theory has been unveiled within the format of a popular thriller, but the information is anything but new. My sincere hope is that The Da Vinci Code, in addition to entertaining people, will serve as an open door for readers to begin their own explorations.

HAS ANYONE IN ORGANIZED RELIGION COME OUT IN SUPPORT OF YOUR NOVEL?
Yes, many people in organized religion have come out in support of this novel, and, of course, many have come out in opposition as well. The opposition generally comes from the strictest Christian thinkers who feel the idea of a "married Jesus" serves to undermine His divinity. While I don't agree with this interpretation, this is immaterial because the dialogue itself is a deeply empowering and positive force for everyone involved. Suddenly, enormous numbers of people are passionately debating important philosophical topics, and regardless of the personal conclusions that each of us draws, the debate can only help to strengthen our understanding of our own faith. Much of the positive response I get from within organized religion comes from nuns (who write to thank me for pointing out that they have sacrificed their entire lives to the Church and are still considered "unfit" to serve behind the altar). I have also heard from hundreds of enthusiastic priests. While many of them disagree with some of the ideas in the novel, they are thrilled that their parishioners are eager to discuss religion. Father John Sewell of St. John's Episcopal Church in Memphis stated it particularly eloquently in the press recently, saying: "This [novel] is not a threat. This is an opportunity. We are called to creatively engage the culture and this is what I want to do. I think Dan Brown has done me a favor. He's letting me talk about things that matter."

So here you have two people from the opposite sides of a spectrum (Dan Brown and Father John Sewell), agreeing that the benefits of disagreement are more good than bad. They see opposition not as a threat or detrimental, but as opportunity for exploration, evaluation and spiritual growth. How awesome is that! To balance my excerpt from Dan Brown's interview, here is a response to the DaVinci Code by Opus Dei, a catholic organization that is addressed in the novel quite extensively.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So in short my point is, The Art of Brownsville will be a platform for the discussion of art and culture in Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley/Rio Bravo Frontera. I just used the examples from politics and religion to get some points across about the importance of having different perspectives and dialogue in our life; to take conflicts of interest as a beneficial challenge by trying to understand them, to learn from them and to ultimately make our own decision. We have to freedom to do so. So appreciate democracy by using your individual rights and privileges to form your own beliefs. Ignorance is a price too high to pay these days.

In honor of the greatest music of all time, Rock en Español, I thought I shoud inform you of some acts that are going to be in the vicinity!

La Ley
Sunday, July 11
La Villa Real Center, McAllen, Texas
I believe you can by tickets at the Boot Jack which is located in the shopping center where the nightclubs Copa Cabana and Bucana's are located, on the expressway before the exit for Sunrise Mall.

I heard there will be a private concert in Brownsville for $100 per person, if I am correct on July 12th or July 14th. I am thinking there is more of a chance they perform July 12th because they are due to perform in Denver the 13th and then Salt Lake the 15th, so that would mean they would have to fly back just to perfrom in Brownsville on the 14th. But who knows, maybe they will, it is a pricey concert. Anyways, the way I heard it is that Bucana's nightclub is sponsoring the performance at the Brownsville Events Center. I have a sneeky suspicion this could all be an urban myth, I have yet to hear any updates on this concert from the grapevine.

Cafe Tacvba

Austin, Texas concert with Ely Guerra and Control Machete
Date:
07/14/2004
Doors Time:
8:00 PM
Venue:
La Zona Rosa
Address:
612 West Fourth Street

~~~~

Cafe Tacvba will also be performing here but I am unable to find any confirmation online. I did hear an announcement on FM 91.3 . I will keep my ears open and update this info ASAP.

Remember my new found addiction to Cable TV? So I have also found that I am a sucker for TV movies. This morning I cried when Macauly Culkin died in "My Girl" and tonight I cried when Selena died in the Selena movie. Wow. I remember I went to go see Selena at Movies 10 and as a former, avid Tejano NON-fan, I remember trying to fight tears at the end. Now, I like Tejano okay, so I let myself bawl it out at the end of Selena, but I was suprised by crying for "My Girl". I didn't cry when I watched it like 10 years ago (eek!). I can even remember going to see it at the Northpark Plaza. I remember movies costed $1.50 back then! And then we would go on Tuesday nights to get in for 50 cents. Now I think that theatre is a church or something like that. No disrespect to the church, but I think it would be awesome if someone would revive that theatre and make into an indie theatre, like the Landmark Dobie Theatre in Austin. They could also show old Mexican films with Pedro Infante and Cantinflas! La India Maria too! God those films are the bomb!

So on the topic of film, I heard that CineSol will be held in McAllen this year and not at the Island. I heard the City of McAllen offered the film festival a considerable amount of money to hold the event there. I also hear that there will be a a lot of great entries this year. I will try to keep you all informed.

I am having trouble figuring this new template out so I have not managed to get the links up. I may have to look into different options or return to a simpler format. Who knows....anyone have any suggestions?

Hey, if you have a website whose link you think would be of interest to The Art of Brownsville visitor, then let me know. Thanks!

Here is another event I just got wind of. Sounds like fun and proceeds will go to support cultural endeavors at the Narciso Martinez Center which serves the Rio Grande Valley region! So go, have fun and feel great about yourself too!

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Cool Jams Inc. presents

Los Cadetes de Linares

Friday July 2, 2004
8:00 pm

International Convention Center
4434 E. 14th Street
Brownsville, Texas

Admission - $25

tickets available at the International Convention Center
for more information call 956-546-8878

part of the proceeds will benefit
The Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center of San Benito, Texas

Yesterday was the ground breaking for the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art's new building which will be located next to Gladys Porter Zoo and Ringgold Park. Click here for recent media coverage by the Brownsville Herald.

This is a very exciting event in the progression of Brownsville's cultural venues, not excluding the Ringgold Park renovation, the renovation and expansion of the Capitol Theatre and the plans for Linear Park. We should support these initiatives as well as the smaller creative endeavors, be it by buying hand crafted jewelery by a self-supporting artist at an art fair, attending an improv poetry night at the local coffee joint or cheering on a your local comedians at a comedy club. The point is, big or small, all artistic endeavors in Brownsville and the Valley need your support and/or participation! So go on, get out there, learn a thing or two and have fun!

Check there events out at the Narciso Martinez Center. Everytime I go to an event with the NMCAC, I end up learning something new and having a good time! Take a friend or two as well!

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Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center      
225 E. Stenger Street
San Benito, Texas
(956) 361-0110

July Events:

Tues. July 6th, 7:00 pm - Writers' Forum
Everyone is invited to share their poetry, fiction and prose in English or Spanish with other writers.

Sat. July 10th, 6:00 pm - "Cuatro del Valle" group art show
Xavier Garza, Celina Hinojosa, Luis Valderas and Carlos Gomez

Opening reception and book signing of Chicano Art for our Millennium.
http://www.asu.edu/brp/newandforthcoming/MillBook.html

Book reading by Xavier Garza - Creepy Creatures and other Cucuys.
http://latinoartcommunity.org/community/OnlineCom/Events/2004-Events/2004-March.html

Wed. July 14th, 7:00 pm - "El Second Weensdee"
Oral history series on conjunto music featuring Santiago Jimenez Jr.
http://www.ondanet.com/tejano/artists/Santiago.Jimenez.Jr/

Thurs. July 15th, 7:30 pm - Book reading and signing
Border-Line Personalities: A New Generation of Latinas Dish
on Sex, Sass and Cultural Shifting
by Michelle Herrera Mulligan and Robyn Moreno of New York City
http://www.harpercollins.com/catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060580763

Every Friday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm - "North of the Border"
a program of Mexican Roots Music with Rosa & Joe Perez
on Public Radio 88 FM - KMBH/KHID
(88.9 lower Valley, 88.1 upper Valley)
http://www.kmbh.org/radio/local.htm

Sorry everyone...I have been on a bit of a hiatus...trying to be as lazy as possible and find a job! lol. well I am exaggerating on the lazy part or is it the other way 'round? hmmm....lol. But I am taking it slow and easy and trying to find a job as soon as possible too...so yet another contradiction. I owe so many people so many thank you's, greetings and apologies. June has been a brooding with no action kind of month. May was such a climactic month that "the finale" of life as I had known it for 5 years (college) pushed my senioritis to meltdown into this new found adoration for cable tv, Friendster and popsicles! Yes yes, I am probably making this appear more dramatic than it is. But July is looking up! I will be posting more often and I promise to catch up with everything and everyone...

So besides life...

Here is what is in store for The Art of Brownsville:

- A new template..I figured I should try brown for "Brown"sville. Actually, it's quite nice, feels historic...like Brownsville! I feel like I should post a picture of Pancho Villa or something...lol
- A reposted and updated link list
- You, si tu, can comment now too! Below postings, you can find a link to a commentary board.
- More information and commentary on local events
- Maybe an added contributor (if he agrees...)
- 10X more juicy Brownsville chisme! (okay, so I have never posted any chisme but technically 10x0=0 so technically I am telling the truth...just thought I would get you all excited!)
- More pictures yay!

Check back soon and this time it's for real!

Within the next few weeks I am going to revamp this blog and model it a bit more after Arts Journal. Keep an eye out and if you have any links you would like me to add let me know!

I know this is short notice but I wanted to share this with you all. I will be there and it will be my first art opening that I will be attending in the Valley. It sounds like its going to be good.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Immediate Release:
May 26, 2004

Contact: Cristina Balli
Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center
P.O. Box 471
San Benito, Texas 78586
(956) 361-0110

NMCAC hosts "Pieces of the Global Jigsaw Puzzle"

WHO: Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center & Rene Z. Garza

WHAT:  MFA Exhibition by Rene Z. Garza

WHEN: June 1 - July 1 2004
            Opening Reception: Thursday June 3, 2004 7:00 - 9:00 pm

WHERE: 225 E. Stenger Street, San Benito


Visit the marketplace of the people, versus the marketplace of corporations, as stimuli from a Mexican mercado bombard your senses. Rene Garza exhibits his photographs taken during a trip to the Zapatista territories of Chiapas. Experience the sights and sounds of the mercado as you listen to Zapatista tunes, smell and taste the cooking of huitlacoche, and quench your thirst with agua de limon and Kawamas. 


###

Here is some info about an opening exhibition in McAllen. I recommend you attend to enjoy the show and support Valley artists!

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"Visions on the Verge"
Premiere exhibition at The Loft Gallery

who: Cande Aguilar, Brian Wedgworth, Rick Casas and Lenard Brown
what: Visions on the Verge
when: Friday May 21, 2004 8:00 p.m.
where: 501 W. Bus. 83, McAllen, TX 78504

Special Concepts At The Loft, Cordially invites you to celebrate the opening of the showroom for contemporary Art, Fashion, and Furnishings. The Loft Gallery presents "Visions on the Verge" a premiere exhibition of contemporary art by artists on the verge of wide spread recognition. Come experience an eclectic collection of contemporary art in mixed media, steel sculpture, print making, and oil paintings by artists Cande Aguilar, Brian Wedgworth, Rick Casas, and Lenard Brown. Special Concepts where the future meets the present!!!!

Gloria Anzaldua
1942-2004

Gloria Anzaldua passed away on May 15th. This woman was a great academic and creative contributor to Chicana literature who was also a native of Edinburg, Texas. For more information about her life, causes, funeral arrangements or if you wish to share your thoughts visit the blog that has been created in her honor. More info below from blog creator Belinda Acosta.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear friends and colleagues, near and far--

As many of you know, Gloria Anzaldua left us May 15. I have heard of several ways to honor her. Some are quick, quick turn around ideas (readings.) Others, long range plans for public tributes. Here is something I can offer in the short term.

I have created space on my Web blog to gather any and all respectful thoughts and remembrances for Gloria. Since there seems to be so many thoughts out there, and many of us can't travel to Texas for her funeral, or attend, or plan some of the other events, I thought this might be a good way to capture those random squeezes of the heart that Gloria's passing brought.

For now, you can go to the site and add your comments to what's there or just read and reflect. I may create authors later. I don't want to worry too much about the management of the blog. I just want it to be open and available to those who want to make good use of it.

Here's the link:

http://mymexicanmom.typepad.com/viva_gloria

Belinda Acosta

A sorta reflective narrative about this past weekend:

Feeling so good but so tired. I feel jet lagged and my body is so out of whack. I haven't felt this way since my flight back from Italy almost two years ago. But I am feeling good. The future looks good from now, even if I am going into the future $22,000 in debt! lol

So Fronteras Cruzadas went very well. Very very well. Though I did wish that more people went, but that is the perfectionist in me, 100 people isn't good enough. lol. Just kidding, I think the turn out went very well. The kids had a great time and we had some friends come all the way from Austin. Hannaha, Susan and Lucy saved our butts when they got into town at 1am on Saturday morning. Frank and I were so far behind and matting was much more trouble than we anticipated. The show went well but we were so sleep deprived and Frank was just getting over a spell of food poisoning. We decided that next time we would definitely not mat the artwork since it is so time consuming and trouble, or atlleast have the kids do it.

We finished setting up the exhibiton around 6am and the girls and I went home to sleep. I got a little less than 2 hours of sleep before my sister woke me up thinking I had slept the whole night. So I woke up, watched a little bit of Disney channel and then got ready. I took two pairs of shoes with me, some flats and my mary jane heels. They both kicked my butt eventually! This makes me even more intent on becoming a shoe designer. My mom was getting the food ready, which turned out so well. Even if there was food for 200 people, all 100 attendants gobbled it up. One of the student's 3-D scultptures kept falling and she was so sad about it. We tried every adhesive we had but it just wouldn't stick. The acrylic paint on the boxes wouldn't let any adhesive keep. Now that I think about it, I would have told her to make some texture marks with a blade on the boxes and then use some Gorilla glue. But you never think about these things when you need to. But Ken Hale commented on how atleast she was disappointed about it rather than indifferent. That goes to show how much she really cared about her work.

The folklorico dancers from Porter HS were also an added plus. The room looked great and I will post photos as soon as I get the chance. All the students work was impressive and some students even got to sell some pieces. How exciting! The evening reception at the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center went very well too. But by then, I was so tired and my attempts to nap before leaving for San Benito failed miserably. I was told I was a bit spacy through out the event, but watching Rose and Joe Perez play their music was so great that I didn't notice my swaying as I was told I was doing.

So after that, I took the girls to South Padre Island to meet with Will, Jay and Angel who came to support Frank. Frank met us there after a while too. We spent about 2 hours at an Irish bar called Kelly's Pub and then hanged out at their hotel room for a bit. After that, we went to the beach around 2am. The beach is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen at night. It felt like I was in the biggest room in the world and up to that point, the waves were soothing me since I had not slept since 9am and my birthday piña colada and half a bottle of Smirnoff were sitting in my tummy making me all warm. The wind was so refreshing as well. I wish I could be there again right now. Will kept saying how the lucky we were to live so close to the beach, and how of all the beaches he has been to SPI was one of the best. And he has been to many beaches he said, but I can't recall what he said but I do remember feeling impressed and proud of my home. I have to agree, I love South Padre when it's all quiet and peaceful. And I have been to to freaking Medittereanean so I know what I am comparing it to. Now I loved the Amalfi Coastline! I have never seen water so blue in my life and the cliffs are breathtaking! But the beaches I have to say were uncomfortable and rocky. I think what makes SPI so great is the vast miles of soft sand and there is nothing quite like home. After that, Lucy drove home as designated driver and we slept for a good 8 hours. The next day, my mom took us to Tiko's in San Benito to celebrate my birthday and afterwards we went to Las Palmas Bakery to buy pan dulce for the girls. It was like we were 6 years old and in a candy store. Then I took the girls to Matamoros to el mercado. They bought some flip flops and then left for Austin around 6pm.

So this weekend was busy busy and fun. Frank and I want to have a little get together with the students when we take th show down in the end of May. It's been great getting to know them and we would love to give them feedback as well as get feedback from them. But for now we have to take it easy. We have graduation in 3 days and tons of thank you notes to send out. ay ay ay!

So I heard down the grapeline that an announcement for Fronteras Cruzadas was on B104 in the Valley. How surreal. I sent them a press release and all, but still, just to know that it was broadcasted to the whole Valley one week before the event is so surreal. This is for real. Frank and I are pulling this exhibition off and it's not some thrown together over-night product. We have worked hard for about 5 months (phone calls, press releases, flyers, meetings, symposiums, letters, e-mails, excel sheets, networking, commuting long distances, budgeting, research, promotion, visits, and more in mass quantities...) and still pulled off our last college semester, part-time jobs and artwork. It is so exciting to know that this is coming together. Craziness!

Here are some links for Fronteras Cruzadas:

If you want pdf copies of Fronteras Cruzadas flyers, logos and press release you can download them by clicking here.

If want information on Brownsville hotels, flights and driving directions to visit this link.

If you have any questions e-mail: fronterascruzadas@yahoo.com

I wanted to share this with you all. It sounds like a very interesting lecture on Conjunto music (a genre original to the Valley) so if you happen to be in the Valley area next week you should go to this event hosted by the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center in San Benito, TX.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NMCAC Hosts Lecture by Tejano Music Authority

WHAT: Conjunto Music, Yesterday and Today: a Night of History, Music and Art



WHO: Dr. Manuel PeÒa, visiting professor at UT Pan American

Oscar Hernandez, legendary accordionist

Cande Aguilar and Roel Flores, visual artists and musicians



WHEN: Thursday April 29, 2004



WHERE: 220 E. Stenger Street, San Benito, Texas



WHY: NMCAC is committed to preserving and promoting a valued Rio Grande Valley cultural tradition, conjunto music, as well as history and local art. To that end, NMCAC will host a lecture by the foremost Tejano music authority, Dr. Manuel PeÒa, who is ending a one-year term holding the Maryalice Shivers Endowed Chair in the music department UT Pan American in Edinburg. Dr. PeÒa received his PhD in anthropology of music and folklore from the University of Texas at Austin and has authored three books on Tejano music, including ìThe Texas-Mexican Conjuntoî (University of Texas Press, 1985), ìMusica Tejanaî (A & M Press, 1999), and ìThe Mexican American Orquestaî (University of Texas Press, 1999). Dr. PeÒa has been teaching in California State Univeristy in Fresno since 1981.

Oscar Hernandez, born in Pharr, Texas, is an acclaimed button accordion virtuoso and Conjunto Music Hall of Fame member. He is best known for introducing the chromatic accordion to conjunto music while he was a member of the legendary Conjunto Bernal. With his accordion, Mr. Hernandez will demonstrate the evolution of conjunto music throughout Dr. PeÒaís lecture. 

Cande Aguilar Jr. is also an accordionist as well as a visual artist based in Brownsville, Texas. He began his music career at the age of 10; he is a founding members of the Tejano music group, Elida y Avante with whom he toured the U.S. and Mexico. A self-taught abstract artist, Aguilar now uses oil and mixed media to express his interpretation of the unique artistic qualities found in the Rio Grande Valley.

Roel Flores, a Weslaco, Texas native, is an accomplished bajo sexto player who began his musical career in 1955. He has played extensively with many conjuntos, and this part of his life is interpreted in his many oil paintings. Mr. Floresí and Mr. Aguilarís artwork will be on display this evening. Admission is $5.00. 

Cristina Balli
Director of Programming & Development
Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center
P.O. Box 471
220 Stenger Street
San Benito, Texas 78586
(956) 361-0110

It is now official. We have less than a month until the opening reception for Fronteras Cruzadas.
!!TA TA TA TOM!!

I like this collage. I borrowed this image from the site that is being used to promote this Americo Paredes Distinguished Lecture that CMAS center is sponsoring on "Performative and Visual Art in the Construction of Social Identites." Hits right on the button on what Frank and I are trying to do. I am excited to be going and to learn more about the arts and expressing social indentity. I will save any information I can get for the students in Fronteras Cruzadas as well.

But one thing quirks me about this image is that it cuts off any visual representation of the Valley. Perhaps I am taking it personal, but don't you think a image being used to promote an Americo Paredes Distinguished Lecture should pay some recognition to his origin. In a way, I want to say that it goes to show how dislocated the Valley is from the Chicano movement and culture. I almost want to say the Valley isn't persay a Chicano culture. I am pointing to Chicano culture..because it is the mainstream movement that most people reference when it comes to Mexican-American identity.

I am not making conclusions, but sometimes I feel that the Mexican-American culture is too freely associated with California, barrio issues, catholicism, the Chicano movement and physical borders. These are some fundamentals of Chicano culture that I just cannot totally relate to. I was raised in a sheltered Southern Baptist home for one, totally oblivous to catholicism until my high schools years. I lived in Brownsville for my whole upbringing, where the Mexican population is abouy 96%, so tensions of ethnic and cultural assimilation were never a big issue growing up. It wasn't until I came to college that I was told I was a minority. I grew up not too far from a swirling, muddy river, that churned and meshed my American heritage with my Mexican heritage as a first generation Mexican-American, not seperated it. And even if demographically I am an minority, I don't feel it, not even today. While in Austin, I have been harrassed for being a Mexican-American woman and threatened, but even then, inside of me I do not feel like an ethnic minority. I am a Mexican-American woman and many things beside that, so why is it all of a sudden that I have to relate myself to a title like "Chicano", a title so freely associated to things I am not? Funny how one image can stir so many emotions huh? Maybe this is my issue and no one else's, but I do have to say one thing: There is more to being Mexican-American than being Chicano. I would love to say that the Chicano movement is a sub-culture of Mexican-American culture, as is the Rio Grande Valley. But who knows, this statement may be too premature and naive to say. Still have more things to do, learn and see.

Since Frank is sharing his work process for the ArtsReach project I think I will too. Yay, the bandwagon is always fun! NEways, I have always found music an inspirational source for me and lately my ears have been glued to this little awesome tune by Control Machete in collaboration with Ely Guerra (Who has this AWESOME AWESOME voice and style) called De Perros Amores. Any guesses for what movie this song was made for?

Well, here is a clip of the song so do enjoy! I am thinking of making some painting panels that incorporate some phrases from the lyric of this song. I think this song captures the desperate spirit of the human condition and I want to relate this feeling to the immigrant experience. It may not be so successful but I am still thinking the concept through. Either way I love this song. So I would like to share it with you anyways, if I make art from it or not.
De Perros Amores.mp3
Here is a link the lyrics of the song.

From the Brownsville Herald

Alamo not remembered as glorious victory in Mexico

And also

Santa Anna Legacy Burdened with Contradiction

the reader's comments on the bottom are pretty interesting, funny, and a few horrifying.

And a News 8 Austin article I'll get to later.

I'm taking a break.

Commondreams.org article on free trade and the Border Patrol.

"I was recently in Brownsville, Texas, where I witnessed the daily effects of misguided border policies. Brownsville is within walking distance of the Rio Grande, which separates Mexico and the United States. Border Patrol cars cruise the streets and agents routinely harass people, including U.S. citizens and legal residents.

And until recently, huge lights installed by Border Patrol along the river illuminated the area so brightly that the wildlife no longer knew whether it was day or night."

Laredo Morning Times PDF

possible reference photo

Here's an article from the Houston Chronicle about immigrant smuggling in the Rio Grande Valley.

Coyotes: A Journey Through the Secret World of Mexico's Illegal Aliens
by Ted Conover.

This looks like a great read. The sample pages have some great stuff in them.

Hello! I thought I should put this up pass the word on Cristina Balli who was a guest speaker at the ArtsReach symposium last Saturday. She did a great job and she will be an awesome director for the Narcisso Martinez Cultural Center.

__________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 5, 2004

Contact: Rogelio Nunez
Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center
P.O. Box 471
San Benito, Texas 78586
(956) 361-0110
Email: nmcacsb@yahoo.com


Cultural Center Hires New Director

SAN BENITO, TX The Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center in San Benito is pleased to announce the hiring of Rio Grande Valley native and public radio journalist Cristina Balli as the new Director of Development and Programming, effective April 5, 2004.

Balli leaves her position of producer at Public Radio 88 FM, KMBH/KHID, where she hosted the segment "Fine Arts Focus". A native of Brownsville, she earned a bachelor of social work at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas. After practicing in the field of child welfare and mental health for eight years, she switched careers to public broadcasting. She produced several radio documentaries for KMBH/KHID, including "La Hora de la Guitarra: the Life of Maria Aurora Arrese and the Estudiantina Movement in Brownsville", "Celebrating 50 Years of the Valley Symphony Orchestra and Chorale", "Classic 88 FM's Voices of Christmas", and "Celebrating Our People: Los del Valle". Balli provided technical assistance for the initial season of "North of the Border", a public radio program of Mexican roots music. She also contributes a music column to the local arts and culture publication, "The Mesquite Review".

"It is very difficult to leave public radio", said Balli, "but I am looking forward to my future at NMCAC. The time is ripe for the development of arts and culture in the Rio Grande Valley and I am honored and excited to be a part of that growth. The Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center represents the unique mixture of talent, creativity and cultures surfacing from this area; I believe that by preserving and promoting the arts, NMCAC contributes to the social, economic, political and spiritual betterment of our community."

The Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center is an organization dedicated to the preservation, promotion and development of the rich cultural and historical heritage of the Mexicano community. This heritage includes the visual arts, music, theatre, dance and literary works. Established in 1991, NMCAC was named after Narciso Martinez, who was known as ìthe father of conjunto music.

            Born on October 29, 1911, in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, and raised in the community of La Paloma along Old Military Highway, Martinez was one of the first to combine the German accordion with Mexican guitars to form the embryonic conjunto music style. Together with bajo sexto player Santiago Almeida, Martinez made musical history with the 1936 recording of the polka "La Chicharronera" and the schottische "El Tronconal" on the Bluebird record label. His fruitful music career earned Martinez the epithet of "El Huracan del Valle", as well as a National Heritage Award from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1983.

Martinez's work represents the unique blending of cultures and experiences of the Texas-Mexico border, and captures the essence and philosophy that NMCAC seeks to preserve and promote.

Current NMCAC activities include a writerís forum held every first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m.; "El Second Weendsdee", an oral history series on conjunto music held every second Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m.; accordion lessons every Thursday evening; "North of the Border" airing on Public Radio 88 FM Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.; and the annual 16 de Septiembre Celebration/Narciso Martinez Conjunto Festival.

The Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center is located at 220 E. Stenger St., San Benito, Texas. Visits can be scheduled by calling (956) 361-0110.

# # #

I was in Brownsville this past weekend for the first student seminar for ArtsReach:

It's been a while since I last blogged, but preparing for the seminar was time consuming and I tried to tunnel my focus last week to preparing for the symposium on Border Art and Civic Engagement. All in all, I think the symposium went well but not all the students attended, so that would be the only downer about the event. It's okay. They had only known about it for maybe a week or so. But about 10-12 students did go and for the most part I think the students enjoyed the guest speakers' presentations and I think the guest speakers had fun sharing their passions with the students. What I am most interested in seeing is how these students will translate what they learned at this seminar to art. My excitement alone about these creative prospects make me look forward to visiting them in 3 weeks.

I also attended Symphony in the Park at UTB because my brother-in-law plays with the Rio Bravo symphony. I loved the event and I think our $2 bring your own blanket on the lawn seats were the best seats in the house. I was laying on the lawn with my family, watching children play and people socialize, being merry and friendly. I got to hear live music and enjoy the nice, spring weather. The scene resembled a French Impressionist painting! It was great! I also got to visit the new buildings at UTB and I was very, VERY impressed. I think it was even more beautiful than UT-Austin architecture. Afterwards we went to eat tacos. I was so happy, full and sleep deprived (because the night before I didn't sleep preparing the symposium packets) that as soon as I hit the bed I fell asleep.

I miss Brownsville now. I ran into an old friend of mine at the concert and she asked me why I would ever want to return to Brownsville rather than stay in Austin. I didn't know quite how to answer her. Austin is an awesome place and I have pretty much made a home here. But my real home, where my heart is, where my family is and where I will always look to wherever life will take me, is in Brownsville. If anything, Austin helped me appreciate Brownsville so much more. It is through my experiences here that I was able to reflect upon Brownsville life. And it's not like I am going back to chain myself to the walls of the mall or something of thaat nature. I will continue to travel and visit other cities and countries, maybe live in some for a while. I will always look to stretch my own perspectives and to learn about different people and cultures, but Brownsville will be homebase. It's where I will always return to. And maybe for this reason, I am leaving Austin, I am just ready to move on the next phase of my life, to continue my evolution. I am a different person because of Austin since 5 years ago, but Brownsville is a differnet place because of time. When I return, I don't expect to be returning to the same place I left and I look forward to finding my place in my hometown as a new person.

This is a list of influences for my project. Hope you like.

Joe Sacco, comic book journalist.

Love and Rockets:
By the Hernandez Brothers:
Here's a Bio of Jaime Hernandez.

And to a lesser extent for this project, Warren Ellis:

Most importantly "Transmetropolitan."

Here is our VERY UNOFFICIAL Fronteras Cruzadas press release. This version is just for informative purposes and not the official announcement. Our REAL press release will be ready by the end of next week, so if want to obtain to get a copy, e-mail me and I will be happy to send one your way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Brownsville Heritage Complex will be the site for, Fronteras Cruzadas, a new art exhibition showcasing border art from five high schools in Brownsville, Texas: Hanna High School, Lopez High School, Porter High School, St. Joseph Academy and Valley Christian High School. The University of Texas at Austin's College of Fine Arts and the University Cooperative Society is sponsoring this event through ArtsReach, a program designed for undergraduate students to establish residencies in their home communities. “The University of Texas at Austin is dedicated to the long term development of the State of Texas as a whole. This wonderful project is an important part of this effort, and I salute the imagination of our young people in making this happen,” says Dean Robert Freeman of the College of Fine Arts.

The resident coordinators, Mayra Cruz and Francisco Diaz, hope to cast light on Brownsville’s local culture and history through an exhibition of local high school artists. "Through this project it is hoped to help students get in touch with local culture and history. It'll open their eyes and increase awareness of their surroundings. It'll show them the importance of history in Brownsville and Matamoros, Mexico and it'll benefit the citizens because it gives them an opportunity to go to the museum and see border art. Too often people forget this museum is here, " says Carmen Zacarias, Executive Director of the Brownsville Heritage Complex which includes the Stillman House Museum. Frank Diaz further comments, “We intend to stimulate curiosity through this project. We feel a working knowledge of history, especially from an underrepresented point of view, is essential for students to understand their role in society, and consequently the world.” The Brownsville ArtsReach program aims to foster this understanding so students can realize art as an opportunity for civic engagement.

The opening reception for Fronteras Cruzadas will be on Saturday, May 15th, 2004 at the Brownsville Heritage Complex located on 1300 East Elizabeth Street, Brownsville, TX, ph. 956-541-5560. The exhibition will be open to the public for two weeks and will be located in the Bruce T. Aiken room until Saturday, May 28th.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


“ Artsreach provides an opportunity for students to learn how to give
back to their home communities. The students who participate in the
program follow a very professional agenda in the development and
implementation of a specific project. They learn how to use their
educational training to have a positive impact on a community through
professional collaborative efforts. In turn the chosen community
learns first hand the value that the University of Texas has in
enriching their lives.”
Ken Hale, Chair of the Department of Art and Art History

"While a central aspect of the mission of the University of Texas at Austin is the education and training of our students, we are also dedicated to the long term development of the State of Texas as a whole. The wonderful artistic project in Brownsville put together by Mayra Cruz and Frank Diaz, two of this year's seniors, is an important part of this effort, and I salute the imagination of our young people in making this happen, work notably facilitated by the University Cooperative Society."
Robert Freeman, Dean of the College of Fine Arts


Q: How do you see the art exhibition benefiting the students and citizens of Brownsville?

A:" Well, its helping students get in touch with culture and history. It'll open their eyes and increase awareness of their surroundings. It'll show them the importance of history in Brownsville and Matamoros. It'll benefit the citizens because it gives them an opportunity for people to go to the museum and see border art. Too often people forget this museum is here. "
Carmen Zacarias, Executive Director of the Brownsville Heritage Complex

The first student seminar is coming up fast! So far we have 4 guest speakers confirmed from the Brownsville community. The most interesting part though is how the students will react to this...will they respond to a room full of leading figures in Brownsville education and culture, giving them their full attention and time? Will they know just how cool this seminar is and how some college students would love to get this sort of personal attention and interest from 4 professionals in one afternoon? Maybe some, but most probably won't. That is what will make the seminars so interesting!

I thought I would put up our most recent ArtsReach program statement so you all can know what's up with the program. Any feedback would be great!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We are two students from Brownsville, Texas who want to give back to the art community of our hometown. Brownsville’s culture and history is a wellspring of artistic inspiration. As a product of the Mexican American War, the scene of the final battle of the Civil War, and a point of great intercultural interaction, it is the second most historical city in Texas. However, we feel that these rich resources are being neglected in favor of homogenization and commercial growth, not only by outside regions, but also by its own residents. We envision a program that would promote awareness about Brownsville’s history and identity, a culture in constant evolution through the dialogue between Mexico and the United States. Issues like immigration, trade, cultural exchange, economy, and education clamor for attention from Brownsville residents. The recent boom of corporate and suburban development has swelled the pride and economy of Brownsville and its residents. Yet this becomes problematic if this new pride homogenizes understanding of Brownsville as a growing commercial center, and not as a unique reservoir of culture and history. It is the local art community’s opportunity to reignite interest in these issues.

We endeavor to strike a match through a community ArtsReach program. It will involve direct communication with residents using art as a platform for cultural awareness. We are currently coordinating an art exhibition at the local Brownsville Heritage Complex, home to the Brownsville Historical Association and city founder Charles Stillman’s homestead. The opening reception will be held on Saturday May 15th, 2004 and will be open to the public at large. It’s an event titled “Fronteras Cruzadas” (crossed frontiers/borders), to resonate the border art theme of the exhibition. We will involve at most 14 student artists from Brownsville’s seven high schools in this project, working in a variety of media, two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and four-dimensional (video, film, performance). Our artwork will also be exhibited, which will also adhere to the theme of the exhibition. We will also offer two students seminars to be held on April 3rd and May 8th. The first seminar will cover the theme of the exhibition by introducing students to border issues addressed in art, history and literature. We have invited special quest speakers from the Brownsville community to discuss research methods and resources available to the students. The second seminar will be an artist workshop, which will introduce the students to conceptual and hands-on methods of coordinating an exhibition and an introduction to the business of art.

I think I've settled on an idea for my part of the show. The one about paralleling the experience of immigrants crossing the river with the experience of suburban kids crossing the bridge to Mexico. Mayra liked it. Then I liked it more. Then I told my Anthropology Professor about it and he called it an MTV type thing. I don't know if that was good or not. So I nodded and smiled back and told him "yeah, MTV anthropology." Then he offered to help me with research, cuz he has tons of stuff on immigration.
I'm happy. Its the Mountain Dew. I'm going to need a lot more Mountain Dew to get through next month.

LOL. I thought I would share this with you all. I found this quiz called "what novel do you belong in" at this blog called About Last Night which is about the arts in New York City. Pretty good blog. Hope I can make this blog as good as that one some day.

Here are my results by the way. I belong in a Margaret Mitchell universe.


Darling, it seems that you belong in Gone with the
Wind; the proper place for a romantic. You
belong in a tumultous world of changes and
opportunities, where your independence paves
the road for your survival. It is trying being
both a cynic and a dreamer, no?


Which Classic Novel do You Belong In?
brought to you by Quizilla

So much has happened this week in concern to Fronteras Cruzadas that it is difficult to assess the progress that has been made. The progress feels good in Brownsville, but I am so afraid that when I get back to Austin I will learn that something was done wrong. It really is this big juggling act. But so far, the feeling is positive and hopefully it will be the same in Austin as it has been in Brownsville.

I had also found a blog for artist Gary Panter, who has done art for The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, MTV and Rolling Stone. He was actually born in Brownsville and in his blog, he says the local sights and sounds (with their Mexican influence) had influenced his artwork, especially the huge movie posters that used to hang outside the old Majestic theatre downtown.

I will probably do more research on his work so I will post more about him when I can. I also took a closer look at the grafitti on Jefferson and 4th. I have to say it's pretty good. I am sure that the artist had done his research by looking at other grafitti samples and planned the piece because it is well composed. Maybe next time I go to Brownsville I will take a digital camera with me so you all can see what I am talking about. Okay, I have to go to bed now. I leave for Austin in about 6 hrs. I want to avoid the Spring Break traffic so I am leaving early. Goodnight!

Ok. So I've been in Brownsville for about 1.5 days. I am also realizing that my pool of friends is shrinking. How sad. People get married, move, have babies, get new friends, have lives, and so on...and in the end you feel like this big loser with no friends. Which isn't true, but it feels like that. Is this what happens as you get older? No, I think this is the sort of thing that happens when you've been away at college for 5 years.

But so far, I have been plugging Fronteras Cruzadas to many different people (which is keeping me on a schedule) and will begin work on my artwork in my backyard. My dad and I are going to be cutting plywood and glueing shoes down! I am going shoe hunting which I always find as a blast! I attended my first Comadrazo with the Brownsville Comadres . It was fun to meet these women from the Valley and they were all very receptive to the program and wanting to support our effort. I am glad to know this.

I am also headed to McAllen tommorrow to visit the RGV Texas Commission on the Arts satellite office. (As I write this, the Dave Matthews song comes into my head...lol) NEways, yes, I am heading into ENEMY territory. As some or some may not know, McAllen and Brownsville have a friendly air of competition between them. Most of it bickering as to what mall has the more popular chain stores in it. Well anyways, I hope to get loads of info tommorrow concerning Rio Grande Valley cultural policy.

Glad to know you like the blog Frank. Don't you like how in my last entry, I included the word HOPE like 100 times? I need to reread what I write more often.

I love that post Mayra. And those are great sunset photos of Brownsville. Especially the one with the Resaca. Yeah I haven't posted much in a while. Mostly out of confusion.

SOUL FORCE

The recent terror bombings that killed nearly 200 people and wounded about 1,400 more in Madrid is a devastatingly tragic and shocking event. It's amazing, and not in the good way, that these acts of horror have to remind us of the constant presence of hate in the world. But despite the presence of hate in the world, we should always, ALWAYS keep a place for hope. HOPE is what will keep the good in humanity alive and hope will never allow the fear terrorists wish to gain from their acts. For now we must keep our thoughts and prayer with the people of Spain and anyone in the world who is suffering the acts of hate; not just by acts of terror but acts of hate in their countries, towns and homes. We have to hope in the goodness in humanity. It is a huge leap but none the less, not impossible. If you ever doubt humanity, then take a look at this photo of millions of Spaniards filling the streets of Madrid, silently protesting the acts of terror, know that you are not alone in striving for hope. We must hope and strive for a better world.

"Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must ever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force." Martin Luther King, Jr.

Last semester I got to see Richard Florida give a lecture about his book "The Rise of the Creative Class". Like so many lectures, I got all excited in the end feeling like I was going to join his legion of creative class innovators. I have yet to sit down and read his book, but be reassured it is collecting dust on my desk waiting for my attention. Anyways, what I got from his lecture and from a bit exploration of his website, he bases his economic research on the role of creative influences in the economy. Here is a bit I got from his website:

"The Rise of the Creative Class gives us a provocative new way to think about why we live as we do today — and where we might be headed. In a book that weaves a storytelling with a massive body of research, Richard Florida traces the fundamental theme that runs through a host of seemingly unrelated changes in American society: the growing role of creativity in our economy.

Just as William Whyte's 1956 classic The Organization Man showed how the organizational ethos of that age permeated every aspect of life, Florida describes a society in which the creative ethos is increasingly dominant. Millions of us are beginning to work and live much as creative types like artists and scientists always have - with the result that our values and tastes, our personal relationships, our choices of where to live, and even our sense and use of time are changing. Leading the shift are the nearly 38 million Americans in many diverse fields who create for a living — the Creative Class.

The Rise of the Creative Class chronicles the ongoing sea of change in people's choices and attitudes, and shows not only what's happening but also how it stems from a fundamental economic change. The Creative Class now comprises more than thirty percent of the entire workforce. The choices these people make already had a huge economic impact, and in the future they will determine how the workplace is organized, what companies will prosper or go bankrupt, and even which cities will thrive or wither."

One of the things he also proclaims is that the gay community has a huge role in the economic devlopment of a region. I am assuming what he means is, if a region is tolerable enough to keep a social climate open to the gay community, then it can also cater to a diverse crowd whom all different needs and wants (mostly recreational and artistic), thus stimulating the region's economy to meet the needs of its diverse and creative consumers. I may be totally off from his point, but I think that touches some light to the matter.

So from his research of about 300 regions in the US, he ranked them according to his findings. He placed Seattle, San Francisco and Austin in the top 10 (Austin being #2, which makes everyone love Richard Florida in Austin). The Brownsville-San Benito-Harlingen region ranked #135 overall, over the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission region's rank of #164, which took me by suprise because most people see the upper Valley as having the upper hand in the valley economy.

He also ranks the cities on the following sub-categories. Here is the Brownsville data with their ranks following: Creativity(114), Diversity-Gay(76), High tech(106), Innovation(257). I am shocked to see the innovation factor so low. I am interested to know more about the data that supports this ranking. His "creativity firm" Catalytix offers their services and a detailed report for any of the regions he researched. I would love to get my hands on the 2002 detailed report for Brownsville, but so far it costs $500. Anyone have spare change for a good cause?

Anyways, I am not proposing that Florida's Creative Class is the save all of the Brownsville economy. But I think it deserves scrutiny and attention. If someone did an economic profile of your region, wouldn't you want to know what they found? Has anyone in Brownsville already studied these findings? It would be good to know.

Just practicing my blogging skills. As some may notice, I've changed the formatting of the blog a bit. I found these great pictures of Brownsville sunsets online at this website. I think Brownsville has some of the most magnificent skies I have ever seen.
Enjoy!

I revised my artist statement. It was inspired by my most recent critique about some installations I made about Brownsville. My mind has been consumed in conceptual thought about my art and it's really stressing me out, in the good challenging way that you will learn lessons for life kind of way. I will try to post images of the installation later on during Spring Break.

I really need to do more research on border art and border artists. But I also don't want to get sucked into the Chicano artist/activist train of thought. Is it bad to not want to be identified as a Chicano artist? I just don't feel quite right identifying myself and my heritage to a socio-political movement. And it's not that I don't appreciate the Chicano movement because if it weren't for the chicano activists, I'd have much less privilege to be speaking my mind right here. I just dislike the idea of a label all together. Call me an individualist if you need a label, but I never felt in line with anything much of my life. Even in Brownsville, being raised Southern Baptist within a large Catholic demographic put me at odds; worse now that I am agnostic and thinking of going Unitarian! Also, minority underrepresentation has never been a big issue in Brownsville (on micro-social terms) unless it's an issue for people who are not Mexican-American. Hmmm...that would be an interesting topic to research, how do other ethnicities in Brownsville feel like as minorities in a micro-society with a large Mexican-American demographic that is underrepresented in macro-society? There are so many ways to approach these topics, but I think the most difficult thing is to pin-point what you want to address rather than present an arbituary and general commentary that would just confuse everyone in the end.

I need to involve myself in dialogue about border issues and to find other artists for an exchange of ideas and support. On this topic, I went to a screening of Alex Rivera's "The Sixth Section". This documentary is moving and educational, and prior to learning about his visit to UT, I never knew about the existence of Mexican hometown associations in the United States, raising funds to economically develop their hometown. What was even more amazing was that these small groups have gained political ground and influence in their state from 2,000 miles way. I recommend this documentary to anyone.

About finding artists or people for dialogue, if you are interested in contributing e-mail me. Until then, enjoy the great weather because it's been a beautiful spring!

Frank and I went to a Franklin Covey (Of 7 Habits of Effective People Fame) workshop on Project Management yesterday to fine tune our management skills for implementation of the Brownsville UT ArtsReach program. Thanks to Dean Dempster who funded our enrollment fees! It went very well until the end when they began to promote their own products. It was a bit demoralizing...we paid $150 for someone to conclude that their products are the best tools to organize our lives with. But hey, whoever came up with the idea at Franklin Covey to use project management seminars to push their own own line was pretty clever. But the actual skills taught in the seminar were actually very usual and for the first time, I feel like I have a grasp on "Fronteras Cruzadas" and how we can approach this project!

Anyways, so things are going underway for Fronteras Cruzadas and so far there are 5 schools on board:

Valley Christian, Hanna, St. Joe, Porter, and I think Lopez. (I need to confirm with them.)
We have yet to hear from Rivera and Pace and it's been difficult to track them down. If anything, persistence will be our foremost tool, which will make us either very effective or very annoying. LOL

We may have to change the location from Sunrise Mall to a museum, which totally deviates from the public art facet of this program. Yes, museums are open to the public, but by using the mall, we wanted to reach a public that doens't usually visit a museum or isn't aware of artistic endeavors in Brownsville. We want to avoid the preaching to the choir effect. We also know that this exhibition would reach much more warrant from the Brownsville public at large by showcasing at the Mall, but so far we may have to pay $1000 a week to use in-line space which we have no room in the budget for. Also, there are issues of security (not just for the artwork, but the actual management of the exhibition since Frank and I would have to return to Austin to graduate leaving no one to open and close the exhibtion for two weeks straight), and mounting (like we can't drill holes into the wall). So far, the cons outway the pros logistically. Hopefully we will have the space issue resolved within two weeks.

Spring Break is also coming up but I doubt I will party hardy. Much time will have to be taken advantage of to lobby and make connections with the Brownsville Fronteras Cruzadas stakeholders. So yes, work is coming, which is a good thing because it means the vision is materialzing getting us closer to a product and an end!

I think somewhere along the line, I am going to turn this blog into a BONAFIDE website that will be a useful resource for information about the arts in Brownsville in general. It would have useful links and the such that any good, professional website would have. But now I don't have time to devote to a website. Maybe when I graduate and have the grace period between school and work.

The State Board for Educator Certification will most likely pass a resolution on April 7th to allow people with only a Bachelors a temporaray teaching certification; thus meaning they can avoid enrolling in a special program for certification. Click here to read more.

I oppose the idea, but it's also an advantage since I dropped teaching sequence in the fall. I felt very demoralized in my teaching sequence program and I am still confused if I want to teach or not. I almost don't want to take advantage of this opportunity just to protest this certification. Quite a moral dillemma on my hand.

I found this interesting article at this website by Oscar Casares on the issue of cultural and ethnic identity. I tried to find info on his work without being hounded about buying his book and this is what I found...google is the cream of the crop!

This is an interesting article on the subject of immigration and assimilation.
Tell me what you all think and I may post your responses on the blog.

The Americano Dream
By DAVID BROOKS
The New York Times (February 24, 2004)
Section A; Page 25; Column 5; Editorial Desk

“Samuel Huntington is one of the most eminent political scientists in the world. His essay "The Clash of Civilizations" set off an international debate, and now Huntington sees another clash of civilizations, this time within the United States.

"In this new era," he writes in his forthcoming book, "Who Are We," "the single most immediate and most serious challenge to America's traditional identity comes from the immense and continuing immigration from Latin America, especially Mexico."

These new immigrants, he argues, are not like earlier immigrants. Many have little interest in assimilating. "As their numbers increase, Mexican-Americans feel increasingly comfortable with their own culture and often contemptuous of American culture," Huntington argues.

Instead of climbing the ladder of success, he says, Mexican and other Latino immigrants are slow to learn English. They remain in overwhelmingly Hispanic neighborhoods and regions and tend not to disperse, as other groups have. Their education levels, even into the fourth generation, are far below that of other groups. They are less likely to start companies or work their way up into managerial and professional jobs.

Most important, Huntington concludes, they tend not to buy into the basic American creed, which is the bedrock of our national identity and our political culture. "There is no Americano dream," Huntington writes, "There is only the American dream created by an Anglo-Protestant society. Mexican-Americans will share in that dream and in that society only if they dream in English."

Obviously, Huntington is not pulling his punches. You can read an excerpt from the book in the new issue of Foreign Policy magazine at www.foreignpolicy.com. You'll find that Huntington marshals a body of evidence to support his claims. But the most persuasive evidence is against him. Mexican-American assimilation is a complicated topic because Mexican-Americans are such a diverse group. The educated assimilate readily; those who come from peasant villages take longer. But they are assimilating.

It's easy to find evidence that suggests this is so. In their book "Remaking the American Mainstream," Richard Alba of SUNY-Albany and Victor Nee of Cornell point out that though there are some border neighborhoods where immigrants are slow to learn English, Mexicans nationwide know they must learn it to get ahead. By the third generation, 60 percent of Mexican-American children speak only English at home.

Nor is it true that Mexican immigrants are scuttling along the bottom of the economic ladder. An analysis of 2000 census data by the USC urban planner Dowell Myers suggests that Latinos are quite adept at climbing out of poverty. Sixty-eight percent of those who have been in this country 30 years own their own homes.

Mexican immigrants are in fact dispersing around the nation. When they have children, they tend to lose touch with their Mexican villages and sink roots here. If you look at consumer data, you find that while they may spend more money on children's clothes and less on electronics than native-born Americans, there are no significant differences between Mexican-American lifestyles and other American lifestyles. They serve in the military – and die for this nation -- at comparable rates.

Frankly, something's a little off in Huntington's use of the term "Anglo-Protestant" to describe American culture. There is no question that we have all been shaped by the legacies of Jonathan Edwards and Benjamin Franklin. But the mentality that binds us is not well described by the words "Anglo" or "Protestant."

We are bound together because we Americans share a common conception of the future. History is not cyclical for us. Progress does not come incrementally, but can be achieved in daring leaps. That mentality burbles out of Hispanic neighborhoods, as any visitor can see.

Huntington is right that Mexican-Americans lag at school. But that's in part because we've failed them. Our integration machinery is broken. But if we close our borders to new immigration, you can kiss goodbye the new energy, new tastes and new strivers who want to lunge into the future.

That's the real threat to the American creed.”


The full text of the Huntington article in Foreign Policy can be found at:

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=2495&print=1

I went to home for the weekend and the drive wears me out more and more each time. But it also goes by faster. It's goes and feel like this...

Brownsville(77)/pass/Harlingen(20minutes)/pass/Raymondville(1 hr)/pass/checkpoint(1.5hrs)/pass/What reststop?(Sarita)/pass/Kingsville(2 hrs)/pass/Robston(Corpus)(2.5hrs)/pass/I-37/pass/Mathis(359)(2.75hrs)/pass/Skidmore(181)/pass/Petus(3 hrs into drive and rest stop)/pass/Karnes City(123)(3.5hrs)/pass/Sequin(4.25 hrs)/pass/San Marcos(1-35)(4.5 hrs)/pass/AUSTIN!!!/Destination made 5 hrs later!

And somehow I have managed to bring this trip to 5 hours after learning where the speed traps are (Driscoll, Corpus, Beeville), where I can speed past 75mh (the area between Raymondville and Kingsville and the hill country), how to keep good speed (70-85pmh) and to keep a good CD collection at hand!

I went home early this year to attend my aunt's funeral and tried to spend as much time with my family as usual. I caught some of the Charro festivites and attended the International Parade and went to the carnival..followed by my usual throw-up session. I think it will become habit now or something...I am slowly making my decent to being that person that goes to the carnival to walk and do some cheap gambling and watch and wait for other people to go on rides.

Okay. enough about me! So what is the news of Brownsville art...

Amigos Artistas is hosting an art exhibition of Mexican artists at the Historc Brownsville Museum located on Madison and 7th behind the Brownsville Police Station. Sadlly I did not get to catch it but I will definitely catch it during Spring Break. I hear it's a good show so stop buy.

I saw more hip hop grafitti driving along Jefferson and I think somewhere between 3rd and 5th st. The throw-ups had a daring use of bright color and I was impressed with it's clean edges and fills, especially this nice one that said PARRA (i am guessing the name of the barrio gang) but again, the tags were gang glorification and a bit stenciled (Old English font), which make it look more like a sign and less like "writing". I mean, in the end grafitti is grafitti, but I always like the mystery and scent (figuratively speaking) left from anomymous alias writers who use individual style and creative freedom in their writing. The PARRA throw-up is almost so graphic that I want to compare it it to how big corportaions build architectural marvels to glorify their own success or power. Which I guess it a perfect analogy since gang graffiti is a show of power or control of a certain territory as is architecture for big corporations (Ex. the Manhattan Skyline). ofcourse, its so easy to go into a Phallic analogy with this, but I won't...this topic warrants so much more research on my part to go into a cheap sexual analysis.

Oscar Casares was at UT-Austin this past Monday and read from his book Brownsville Stories at the Texas Union. I didn't get to see him since I didn't know about him being in town, but Frank did get to see him and I heard it was a pretty good session. Rumor has it he's up for a position at UT-Austin. That's great for him but it's also rather sad, because it seems to add proof to the Brownsville brain drain theory. Can Brownsville retain the talent it filters out to the world? Wouldn't the talents of the bright individuals from Brownsville be better served in their own community, or as ambassdors to outside communities? These are major questions that are going to be coming up more often in the future as higher education becomes a greater role in Brownsville society and culture. As it is UTB has alreasy passed an 11,000 enrollment and more and more high school students are attending colleges outside of Brownsville. But how much of this education is going back to Brownsville?

Damn Frank. That boy is a good blogger. Frank you need to blog more often so people won't think my entries as farce content. But then maybe my entries are farce...that's why Frank is a better blogger and should blog more often.

So anyways...I recommened that you read this interview with Micky, member of Mexican band Molotov. I like the socio-political themes in their music but yeah, sometimes it's difficult to take them seriously when they sing about making a "chandwich a la chichona" and so forth...but then I think their sarcastic and crude content of their music has also been a big part of their success. Just works better with the young audience. Anyways, the interview is about censorship and how they faced many obstacles through Mexican media and government.

Censorhsip is a big concern in art as it is for music and it gets difficult to work as an artist when the lines between art and institutional control cross more often. I plan to make some pieces soon that are direct comments about gerrymandering, especially in concern to the recent redistricting of the congressional districts in Texas. I know it's going to piss some people off, especially Republicans, but I just want to represent the obvious..so no this is not some sort of political-democratic response as more as a social commentary. I won't decsribe the piece yet just for my own private and professional reasons. It will go into the Artsreach exhibition at Sunrise Mall in May. Oh yeah, the tentative date for this exhibition is in May 15th. So keep an open ear and eye.

MAS Journal

Week 1
What does “history” mean to you? How does it relate to your identity? How do you feel warfare affects culture? What’s the political purpose of the Corrido?

History is the study of past events through analysis of documents, relics, eyewitness accounts, oral traditions, anything and everything. In relation to Acuna’s Chicano History of the Southwest, it is an important and vital political document. A group of people ignorant of their own history is politically crippled. Acuna states that the Southwest and the native Mexicans and Indians who inhabit it have been treated as a conquered, inferior race by Anglo-Americans since the Mexican-American War. He gives each state a chapter, and in each chapter he reveals a pattern of violence and injustices perpetrated against Chicano’s in the name of Anglo progress. The pattern goes like this. Anglos move to Southwestern states. Anglos steal Mexican’s lands by applying their own corrupt real estate system. Mexicans rebel, sometimes violently, sometimes peacefully. Then Anglos subjugate the Mexicans either through violence (the Texas Rangers, lynch mobs), or through corrupt judicial systems and biased laws. Then Mexicans fight back with “banditry” and the cycle continues.
As a Fifth (or Sixth?) generation Spanish colonial born in Brownsville, this article is of great interest to me. It’s difficult to accept the legacy of being a ‘Whitexican’, since in the history Spanish-Mexicans often play both sides against the middle, for example, in New Mexico. Growing up around the de facto Spanish caste system has often been a source of embarrassment. For example, I don't like admitting to growing up wth housekeepers. I’m also rather anglicized. Many of my closest friends are white. In the past this was a source of shame, as well as pride. I often did not feel Mexican enough around family, whatever that means now. I’ve tried to get my family to discuss our genealogy with me. My findings have been interesting but limited. So I’ve taken to investigating Latin American history, and lately, Brownsville history; to figure out my place in the world, where my allegiances lie, and whether that matters anymore. I can be both Mexican-American and Anglo. I guess that’s what Chicano means in a way, though there must be something post-Chicano.
In my brief visits to the Historical Research Center in Brownsville, I learned that in order to understand Brownsville I had to understand the Mexican-American War. Thanks to Acuna’s article I now understand the War to have been an embarrassing loss to Mexico, an easy and ugly victory for the United States, and most interestingly of all, a war that is often glossed over quickly in high school history class. Too quickly, especially, considering how broad the ramifications were. I understand now that Brownsville started off as a peaceful, self-reliant pastoral settlement (From the Paredes quotes in the article), which became an outpost for the U.S. Military (Fort Brown), and then a bustling frontier commercial town when Charles Stillman became its resident (benevolent?) dictator. It’s not that surprising now that there are so many ghost stories in the valley, and Texas as well, considering how much of the West was born out of violence.
I remember in class we spoke of how authors from conquered lands tend to emphasize their virility. I wonder if this also accounts for all the horror nerds and metal fans that I know in the valley. I was strongly influenced a few years back by a book called, The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror, by David J. Skal. One of his central ideas is that horror, as a genre, emerged greatly as a reaction to warfare as well as technological anxiety in the twentieth century. I guess the Corrido, and the cultivating of legendary heroes, thereabout, is part of the Mexican’s reaction to violent Anglo subjugation in the nineteenth century. (The only horror movie I can think of that comments on the Mexican-American War, and Manifest Destiny in general, is Ravenous. In the movie cannibalistic soldiers eat the flesh of other people in order to absorb their virility, much like the white man stole the lands of other peoples and therefore stole their livelihood.)
I am aware that the juxtaposition of Corridos and horror movies is almost offensive to some. But they're both different responses to violent or sudden change. Corridos are about pride. They’re about uplifting the souls of the downtrodden through a romantic look at history. I heard the “Corrido of Gregorio Cortez” online and, for some reason, it was heartbreaking to listen to. Maybe because something so beautiful and earnest about a man who fought the system in the 19th century was being played in a technocratic context. It entered a brain (mine) that’s grown fatalistic about “corporate feudalism” and imperial technocracy, when I entertain such notions about ‘the big picture’. It expressed simple humanity in a world full of funhouse mirrors. Maybe I just missed Brownsville.
On the other hand horror is about waking people up. Its visceral, cathartic and in a world becomig noiser and noiser with media distractions a good science fiction or horror movie with underlying social commentary can be a welcome release from the burdens of the post-modern world. Or at the very least it can be entertainment with a brain.