By Susana Bautista                Bull Slipt by John Valadez at Koplin del Rio Gallery's "Artifex."  Five Latino artists that come from different generations, geographic conditions and cultural influences, but all with one thing in common; a commitment to artistically explore cultural artifacts that signify identity. These artifacts can be anonymous remnants from second-hand stores, found and used by Einar and Jaimex de la Torre, or more personal artifacts such as the clothing, jewelry, and tattoos on the figures drawn by Shizu Saldamando, or John Valadez’s cautious use of Chicano artifacts like the low-rider car and the Virgin. Harry Gamboa Jr.’s characters in his photographs, films, and performances have become artifacts of a new Chicano culture that is being constantly (re)created through the organic evolution of Chicano artists themselves. These five artists both appropriate cultural arti...

Last month, we remembered what it means to work, and we honored our mothers. Some of us are still fortunate enough to have them in our lives. Some of us keep them in our hearts because they are no longer with us. A close friend recently attended a funeral for the mother of a fifth-grade girl, who spoke with poise when she said that her only regret was that she had not had more time with her mom. While it is an incredibly heartbreaking story, it reminds us that our mothers are to be cherished as sacred angels as who bring beauty and love, unconditionally. And whether we mourn or celebrate our mothers, it is important to remember that among us are those who have grown up with two moms or two dads, with grandparents or adoptive parents. In each case, it is the loving and nurturing spirit transferred to our children that that allows them to forge forward and pursue their dreams. What matters most is that they are wanted and loved. In that vein, we offer a tribute to Sal Castro , wh...

An Excerpt from a Work in Progress by Clodomiro Calvo, Part 2 Canter Brother's Delicatessen along with the Breed Street Shul, were the social centers of the local residents. Eventually, if you lived in Boyle Heights, you would visit Canter Brothers. The display case was on the left side of the delicatessen, and small tables for four were on the right side of the room. A wooden partition separated the tables from the display case area. Two booths were located at the far end of the room, just beyond the tables.      As Tony opened the door, a loud chorus of voices reached his ears. His eyes scanned the warm room, and as he entered the aroma of sautéed onions and baked bread reminded him of his hunger. He noticed that all of the customers were men; the only female was the cashier.     Tony walked over to the cashier and said, "I'm looking for Howard Pensick." The cashier stared at this stranger, and then pointed to a man sitting in one of the booths...

By Abel Salas Written by Mercedes Floresislas and directed by Edward Padilla, Tamales de Puerco is a taut, emotionally driven examination of volatile community issues. That it also celebrates the resiliency of the human spirit with healthy doses of love, joy and humor makes it a near perfect production. At the center of what is essentially a good vs. evil drama, a beautiful, resolute young mother of a deaf child stands up against an abusive husband, takes on a society that rejects and persecutes her as an undocumented immigrant and overcomes the difficulties faced by the community of hearing impaired Latinos. Written as part of a Boyle Heights writing workshop led by Josefina López, the play was originally staged by CASA 0101 in 2008. For the current production, the script has been revisited with more attention to characterization. Things that worked well in the first incarnation have been kept and some of the clunky dialogue present in the early version has been streamline...

During the recent city elections, voter turn-out was, from all evidence, dismal. Too few people saw fit to exercise their civic responsibility. We won't go into the reasons we suspect were at the root of the record low turn-out at the ballot box here. For mayoral candidate Eric Garcett i, now locked in a run-off with W endy Greuel , the vote still managed to underscore his status as the front runner. Despite an impressive showing by newcomer Emanuel Pleitez , and a strong following among the city's Latino population for Wendy Greuel, Garcetti won most all of the precincts on the East Side where Latinos were the majority. It probably didn't hurt to have someone like Salma Hayek loving on him so openly in campaign commercials. Mayoral candidate Jan Perry , who terms out this summer as the Council Member from the Ninth District and still has considerable influence among her constituents, has endorsed Garcetti. Greuel, on the other hand, has picked up an endorsement f...

They are Las Cafeteras, a seven-piece ensemble born in El Sereno under the watchful care of Roberto Flores and his brood, a clan of family members—some only   symbolically adopted—that gathers still at a space called the East Side Café. Home to the spirit of collective cultural and political work, the East Side Café on Huntington Drive had long been an outpost of Zapatismo, progressive politics and a return to the roots of communal labor that seeks to uplift the needs of the many and eschew the glorification or gratification of the few. Quiet and humble, Roberto Flores refused then and refuses still to be considered a patriarch. His has always been the spirit of collectivism. His own children, among them Quetzal and Xochitl and Angela Lucía, took those lessons… that kind of life learning gleaned as children of the movimiento and made music with it. But it was not just music or even just movimiento music. It was black music, African music that had been molded and shaped by...

Review by Abel Salas Coinciding with the release of a book—now out on Arte Público Press—that gathers the eight, award-winning monologues penned by eight Latina women, the reprisal of 8 Ways to Say I Love My Life at Casa 0101 is every bit as powerful as the original stage 2009 stage production. In many ways, the play is vastly improved. With each of the eight parts written independently by women who come from across the country and work across a broad professional spectrum, 8 Ways is a celebration of triumph, spiritual health and personal achievement. With a decidedly sharper and somewhat leaner script, as well as agile direction by Nancy De Los Santos Reza, 8 Ways has come into its own as a finely crafted stage production which moves it well beyond the realm of simple women’s empowerment or self-help. Yvonne DeLaRosa, Ivonne Coll, Kikey Castillo and Karina Noelle (l. to r.) in 8 Ways To Say I Love My Life! With an ensemble cast led by award-winning actor Yvonne De La R...

A Short Story by Clodomiro Calvo The old man had enrolled in a workshop for beginning writers. The workshop was offered in a converted old apartment on the second floor of the J.S. Schirm Building, on the corner of First and Cummings, in Boyle Heights. Each Monday evening the old man grasped the rickety unstable handrail and climbed the twenty-six worn out steps. By the time he arrived at the first landing his knees were complaining with pain, and he was forced to stop and rest. After a few moments, he continued his slow ascent of the remaining steps. The old man then managed to shuffle down the dark corridor to the doorway of what must have been at one time a tidy modest apartment. Not counting the past sixteen Monday evenings, the only other time he had stood at this doorway was more than sixty years ago when he was a mere 12 year old shy boy. Pausing at the open doorway and smiling at no one in particular, the old man reflected on the ironical coincidence and began to rem...

On Sunday, October 7, Los Angeles will celebrate its fifth CicLAvia , transforming 9.1 miles of normally congested streets into a car-free, linear park for strolling, biking, playing, and experiencing the city from a new perspective. The route for the October 7 CicLAvia offers a veritable grand tour of Los Angeles’ most celebrated attractions, connecting the world-class museums of Exposition Park with the architectural landmarks surrounding the newly completed Grand Park in the city’s civic center, where CicLAvia will converge with the inaugural celebration of the park’s performance lawn. The upcoming CicLAvia comes a week after “Carmageddon II” September 29-30, during which 10 miles of I-405 will be closed. Organizers anticipate that more than 100,000 Angelenos will happily leave their cars behind again in order to participate in CicLAvia. The new route offers an unparalleled opportunity to survey ...

To celebrate Día De Los Muertos and the Latino art community, Red Bull invited Southern California artists to submit designs for a concept called Red Bull Latagráfica- the Calavera Edition.  Artists were challenged to draw inspiration from the Mexican holiday and submit original artwork, with the top design to be immortalized on two million 12 oz. cans slated to hit shelves this October.  East Los Angeles’ native and current Long Beach resident David Flores has been announced as the winning artist. The Red Bull Latagráfica concept gives an artist the opportunity to expand their portfolio and put their work in front of millions of consumers.  Flores’ design will virtually turn supermarket aisles and convenience store cases into mini art galleries in cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Tucson, Phoenix, Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Chicago as well as parts of Norther...