The AFFA What's Up - February 1-14, 2010

AFFA NEWS

AFFA MEMBERSHIP PARTY

Sunday, February 14

4:00-7:00 PM

Mexic-Arte Museum
419 Congress Ave.
Austin, Texas

You will not want to miss this one, folks! Dance demo and lesson by Esquina Tango, live music by the Austin Piazzolla Quintet, and Mexic-Arte Museum's exhibition, Imagining Mexico: Expressions in Popular Culture, with folk art from Austin collections (OURS!). Bring a dish, some friends, and your checkbook to renew your membership for 2010. It's going to be a great year for AFFA!

If you can't open the invitation, you can view it on our website at www.austinfriendsoffolkart.org

All for the price of your food contribution (A-G = Salad; H-M = Appetizer; N-Z = Dessert).

Help AFFA stay vital...renew your membership and bring your friends to share the wonders of folk art! For more information about the party, please contact Merry Wheaton at mcwheaton@austin.rr.com.

WANT TO LIST YOUR EVENT IN THE AFFA WHAT'S UP?

Please send all listing requests to alexandra@alumni.cmu.edu and be sure to include a graphic you'd like to use (one that looks good small, as you see throughout the e-newsletter) and a brief description of the event. Note that the next What's Up will go out on Monday, February 15. To have your event listed in the next What's Up, please send your requests to Alexandra no later than Sunday, February 14. Thank you!

BUSINESS MEMBERS NEWS

PANEL DISCUSSION: COLLECTING MEXICAN POPULAR ART

Mexic-Arte Museum
Saturday, February 6, 2010
2:00 PM
Free Admission

Join Nancy Fullerton (Assistant Curator of Latin American Art, San Antonio Museum of Art), Kevin Keim (Director, Charles Moore Foundation), Maria Salinas (co-founder of Ballet Folklorico Aztlan de Tejas), Emmily Arenas (local artist from Puebla), Ed Jordan (Austin area collector), and Robert Hollingsworth (Austin area collector) for a panel discussion about collecting Mexican popular art. The panel will be moderated by Toni Nelson Herrera, Mexic-Arte Museum Education Director. (Image pictured is a likeness clay sculpture of Ed Jordan by Mexican folk artist Josefina Aguilar.)

For more information contact (512) 480-9373 or info@mexic-artemuseum.org, or visit www.mexic-artemuseum.org.

HAITIAN EARTHQUAKE RELIEF

Tesoros Trading Company
1500 S. Congress Ave.

Austin, Texas

In response to the devastating earthquake (which has destroyed several of the workshops we work with), Tesoros Trading Company will until the end of January, donate 100% of the sales of all Haitian crafts and folk art sold at the retail store.

Funds will be donated to several non-profits that provide both immediate relief and long-term artisan recovery and development:

Tesoros will also match all donations made at the store.
We hope you will help to reach our goal of raising $25,000 to assist our Haitian neighbors. As of January 21st, we have raised a total of $9,382 through the retail store and sent out $8,000 to Partners in Health and $400 to the American Red Cross.

Tesoros has a wide variety of Haitian crafts and Folk Art in the store now. Your purchase can help in two ways: providing an immediate donation for the nonprofits mentioned and enabling Tesoros to order more from the Haitian artisans we work to create much needed jobs. At this time unfortunately we do not have any of our Haitian products in our online store, please visit our retail location.

For more information call (512) 447-7500 or visit the website at www.tesoros.com.

WILD WOOD ART CAFE
TOUR TO MEXICO
10 days on beautiful Lake Patzcuaro! Wonderful villa, private cook, Monarch butterflies, beautiful folk art, great guide, and wine-thirty daily. Contact Joan Griffith at (512) 797-9559 - a few spots are still available. For more information about Wild Wood Art Cafe visit www.wildwoodartcafe.com.

COSAS IN BOERNE, TEXAS

LOVE LIFE: Chocolate, Hearts, and New Trees of Life from Metepec
Sat., February 13, 5-8 PM

Of course we have to celebrate Valentine's Day, so bring your sweetheart on and enjoy some authentic Mexican chocolate, a little wine and check out the new trees of life from Metepec as well as lots of other new folk art and accessories from the COSAS January trip.

SALVADOR VAZQUEZ: Symbolism of Tonala, Works on Canvas
February and March

Salvador had not painted on canvas in over 40 years until COSAS asked him to this past summer. He has created a series of small canvases exclusively for COSAS with images of Tonala Nahual symbolism used by him and Jorge Wilmot decades ago. This is the first time these images have been represented together in a group in years. And, Salvador has written an interpretation of each painting on the back of each piece.

For more information visit www.cosasonline.com.

IN THE COMMUNITY

THE MEXICAN REBOZO: TECHNIQUES AND HERITAGE

Tia Stephanie Tours

April 2 -11, 2010

The tour will cover the history of rebozos, the natural and man-made fibers, the resist-dyeing process that produces the ikat/jaspe rebozos, the weaving process on both the backstrap loom (telar de cintura) and the treadle loom, and the process of creating the fringe (rapaceo or emputado).

The itinerary will include visits to museum collections and a private collection in Mexico City; Tenancingo and Malinalco, in the State of México, where fine cotton rebozos are crafted; the Purepecha Plateau of Michoacan, home of the feather-fringed rebozo; La Piedad, Michoacan, the center of production of viscose rayon (art silk or artisela) rebozos; and Santa Maria del Rio, San Luis Potosi, home of the elegant silk rebozos, all woven on the backstrap loom.

There will be ample opportunities for collectors to acquire contemporary rebozos from their creators. For additional information, see www.tiastephanietours.com/more_info/trip25.html, or e-mail info@tiastephanietours.com

DECORATIVE ARTS AT HISTORIC MO-RANCH

Hunt, Texas

February 15-17, 2010

Learn the arts of Monterey Furnishings, San Jose Tiles, and Ornamental Ironwork. Cost is $230 for tuition, double occupancy hotel room for 2 nights and five meals. Single occupancy is available for a total cost of $311. Conference check-in begins at 4 p.m. Monday, followed by dinner at 6 p.m. The first presentation starts at 7:30 p.m. Please register online at www.moranch.com.

¡VIVA MÉXICO! — HEROES AND ARTISANS
Mingei International Museum
Balboa Park, California
Opening Sun., Feb. 28, 2010

Celebrateing the 200th anniversary of Mexican independence (1810), the 100th of the Mexican revolution (1910) and the folk art that colorfully and vitally expresses the nation’s spirit. Just as the heroes of independence and the revolution were great artisans in crafting the nation’s constitution, laws and
institutions, so are its many artisans also cultural heroes, vibrantly perpetuating Mexico’s historical memory and its distinctive, exuberant and vital artistic tradition. For more information visit www.mingei.org.