A Journey in Nichos

This past July 17th, Esmeralda Baltazar's farewell show, Paloma Libre in the Windy City, opened at Tianguis. This art show marks the end of Esmeralda's journey through Chicago and each nicho is representative of key moments of her life here. We were honored to have the opportunity to display Esmeralda's nichos which feature her trademark use of Homies.

You can learn more about Esmeralda and the show in this article that appeared in Extra News.

The show will run through August 17th. For the store schedule, check our website.

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"As a passionate collector of homies and a Chicana homie I have placed them in a position of artist, activist and/or educator, in order to remember my experience of leaving my own barrio. This series commemorates the learning opportunities and experiences the city of Chicago has offered me as a Chicana."
-Esmeralda Baltazar


Esmeralda Baltazar moved to Chicago from San Antonio Texas to study at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she received a Bachelors in Fine Arts with a concentration in Art Education. Chicago has been her home for the past seven years and is the place where she has been able to establish her identity as an artist, educator and activist. She is the co-founder of the community-based organization, the Crib Collective, located in North Lawndale and Little Village that develops young people as leaders in their community. After six years of developing a youth leadership organization she is leaving Chicago for graduate studies at New York University to continue and further develop her work in Chicago.

07.23.08:Cohort Residency Reading

SHERYL LUNA and DAWN LUNDY MARTIN
This WEDNESDAY, July 23
California Clipper, 1002 N. California, (Augusta and California), Chicago
Doors open at 8:00 p.m. Reading begins at 8:30 p.m.
Free admission. 21 and over show. You must have i.d.

What is a cohort residency you ask? The Guild Complex in partnership with Cave Canem and the Andres Montoya Prize of Letras Latinas has arranged for two premier poets -- one Latina, one African American -- to be placed in residency together at Ragdale. Our aim is to expand the diversity of residency programs, to open professional creative opportunities for writers of color, and to enrich the exchange between writers. Sheryl Luna read in our inaugural year of Palabra Pura. Her collection Pity the Drowned Horses was selected by Robert Vasquez for the 2004 Andres Montoya Prize and published by the University of Notre Dame Press. Dawn Lundy Martin is the winner of the 2006 Cave Canem Prize. Her collection of poetry A Gathering of Matter/A Matter of Gathering was selected by Carl Phillips and was published by the University of Georgia Press. You don’t want to miss the inaugural reading of this groundbreaking collaboration.

The amazing transformations of Desiree Castro

Desiree T. Castro piqued my interest when she sent word of her most recent project, The Cabrona Chronicles. The last time I had caught Desiree on stage she was in drag and playing Diego, a young boy in the men's bathroom with his dad learning about the rules of using the urinals. Next it was the solo piece that Desiree wrote for the Solo Tu show about motherhood.

Desiree explains that The Cabrona Chronicles is a piece about, "exploration of vital turning points in women's lives and those moments that trigger daughters to avenge their families, wives to leave their husbands, timid girls to have fist fights, students to discipline teachers, and grandmothers to mumble in their sleep,"Te estoy viendo cabrona."

I've had some of those turning points, so I can't wait to see Desiree at the next Proyecto Latina where she will be sharing excerpts from, The Cabrona Chronicles. Ginger Gallardo, Desiree's sister will be joining her with musical selections she's composed as part of the project.

This actress, writer, arts-educator, dancer and mother has a list of impressive accomplishments that include Teatro Luna's award winning show Machos and Solo Tu, she is also a company member for Barrel of Monkeys Theatre Company. You can read Desiree's complete bio here.

Come out and join us on Monday, June 21st at the Radio Arte studios, 1401 W. 18th Street, on the corner of 18th and Blue Island for this event. (Use the 18th street door.) Desiree will be our feature, there will be eight open mic slots and every one's favorite the chisme box.

Hosting our first poetry workshop

Traffic

Sewer stink fills his lungs

tortillas on his face like a mask

candlewax drips over time like tears

rubber body suit melts into the grooves of the day

there is a red light behind his eyes

cry, cloaca, cry

what did you stop doing?

Listed above is the group poem that was written last Thursday when a small group of folks came together at Tianguis for a free poetry workshop with Naomi Ayala. The event was sponsored and made possible by the Guild Complex.

I can't begin to express how grateful and honored we felt for such a wonderful opportunity for both Tianguis and for the community members that got to participate. Naomi was a blast and we had so much fun, there were lots of laughs and jokes and ultimately we all walked out armed with a writing exercise and a new poem.

Stay tuned, because Ellen at the Guild Complex hinted about doing this again next fall. We will make sure to keep you posted.

May 21st: mojitos and mingling @ Cuatro

When: Wednesday, May 21st.
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Where: Cuatro, 2030 S Wabash Ave.

The wonderful women that serve on the Latina Leadership Council for the Chicago Foundation For Women are putting together a lovely event. Its an evening gathering open to everyone, come out for mojitos, do a little mingling and obtain information on the Latina Leadership Council.

Tianguis @ the Mexican & Latino Book Fair in Chicago

We are thrilled to be taking part of this book fair, we invite you to look for the Tianguis booth on Saturday, May 17th and check out the most recent titles by Momotombo Press. The fair will be from Thurs., May 15th to Sun, May 18th but we will only be there one day. Held at University of Illinois at Chicago, Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted. This event is free and open to the public. Details here.

Extended Deadline for Anthology: May 30, 2008

EXTENDED DEADLINE: May 30, 2008

Call for submissions for new anthology focusing on Mexicans/ Chicanos in Chicago and the Midwest.

Edited by: María A. Beltrán-Vocal, Paul Martínez Pompa,
and Irasema González

• Abstract: This anthology explores the experience of Mexicans/Chicanos in Chicago and the Midwest through their writing. By telling the stories of Chicano lives’, we create history and provide a foundation for those attempting to understand the needs and experiences of Chicanos. We also provide direction for self-empowerment.

• The purpose of this book is to record the social, cultural, political, literary experience of Chicanos/Mexicans from their own voice and perspective. This anthology will provide writers and scholars with first hand experience and perspective of Mexicans in Chicago and the Midwest. This anthology will provide Mexicans/Chicanos with the opportunity to explore the presence of Mexicans in Chicago and the Midwest from the end of the XIXth century to today. The writings will allow the reader to view the experience of workers in the railroads, the mills, and the activism of Mexicans in the sixties and seventies to the immigration marches in the XX1st centuries. These writings will give a new perspective of the presence and contributions of Mexicans in Chicago and the Midwest. It will examine the hardships, the struggles and triumphs of Chicanos/Mexicans and how their struggle has changed their perspective of life, politics, activism, education, and gender roles. We are accepting submissions in the forms of essay, poetry, short story, oral histories/testimonies, and autobiographies.

• Postmarked deadline for submissions is Saturday,March 22^nd, 2008

  
  

• Two hard copies of the article, including endnotes and bibliography

§ Submissions should be double spaced, follow MLA format and must not exceed 20 pages.

§ Poets may submit up to five poems

§ Writers may submit up to two short stories no longer than 20 pages

§ Autobiography/testimony, creative, non-fiction/memoir no longer than 20 pages

§ All contributors must submit a brief biography and professional affiliation.

Please send submissions to:

María A. Beltrán-Vocal
Department of Modern Languages
DePaul University
802 West Belden Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
(773)325-7000 ext. 51866