It hurts too much....

It hurts too much to think it, to even speak it. I tried the other day and all we could do was nod our heads and change topics. Fast.
It hurts too much to imagine. Chingao!

I learned about Chicano Secret Service there. I fell in love with art, very special women, colors, ideas, hopes, and scents. I tested myself. Grew. Fought with words and ideas. My heart was caressed and enriched in that place.

My daughter knows the routine. EVERY year we are there Nov. 2nd.

Another loss.

Pinche Catholic Church! Chingando for over 500 years our culture, art, homes, and lives. Pinche molesters need to pay for their legal fees for molesting our children, by raping us again and again.

Anger is good, sometimes. Duele un chingo.

Read it for yourself...

LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY DEMANDS ANSWERS

Community is Outraged that Catholic Archdiocese Secretly Sells Self Help Graphics & Arts Historic Building

Los Angeles, July 11, 2008 -- Over the last 24 hours elected officials, community leaders, artists and residents throughout Los Angeles expressed their outrage that the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese secretly sold the mosaic building that is home to Self Help Graphics & Art. After its founding by Catholic nun Sister Karen Boccalero more than 35 years ago, non-profit organization Self Help Graphics & Arts was notified that the Catholic Archdiocese sold the building to a private real estate and investment company. The organization had no knowledge of the sale or pending sale. Community leaders including Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina made it abundantly clear that the Archdiocese must explain its actions.

"We need answers," Supervisor Molina said. "The Archdiocese's blatant disrespect for the community is unacceptable. I commit to working with Self Help Graphics & Art to mobilize my elected official colleagues and other community leaders to demand that the archdiocese tell us why they mishandled this situation, and how they plan to correct it."

As long as the organization continued to fulfill the mission of advancing Chicano and Latino art and developing local and emerging artists, the Sisters of St. Francis, Mount Alverno agreed to allow Self Help Graphics & Art to use the building. With record-breaking print fairs, community festivals such as its iconic Dia de los Muertos celebration which draws thousands of attendees and artists, both emerging and veteran, flocking to the organization as a place to cultivate their art, Self Help has been undergoing a renaissance. Last Fall Self Help board members were told that the building was not on the list of sites to be sold as part of the Archdiocese's attempt to raise funds to pay the settlement to individuals who successfully sued the church for sexual abuse.

A spokesperson for the Sisters of St. Francis alleges that Self Help Graphics & Art failed to secure a grant to purchase the building, leading the sisters to transfer title to the archdiocese. They also allege that the organization was struggling financially.

"It is preposterous to believe that one attempt at a grant a year ago should signal the Sisters and Archdiocese to move forward with a sale with no notice whatsoever," said Self Help board of directors president Armando Duron. "Common human decency would have been to give us a deadline for purchase."

After closing its doors for three months in 2005, Self Help has experienced resurgence with the help of an untold number of volunteers and the support of the community at large. With no federal or state subsidies or major private grants, the organization has thrived in its array of programs and services to the community. Sales for prints from some of the nation's leading Latino artists and up-and-coming artists have been booming. The organization is considered by scholars and artists as one of the birthplaces of Chicano art.

"For nearly 40 years, Self-Help Graphics has been one of the major community-based arts centers serving Los Angeles . It has earned international recognition for its contributions to the graphic arts and for being a model of community-based art making and art-based community making. In the last three years, Self Help has reinvented itself as a self-sustaining organization, and it has shown the continued vitality and relevance of its mission by reaching new generations of artists and community members through innovative programs and cutting edge artistic production," said Chon Noriega, professor and director of the Chicano Studies Research Center at UCLA.

The terms of the sale from the new owner allow Self Help to remain in the building rent free until December 31, 2008.

Stephen Saiz, Self Help board vice president said the organization will be working with the community, elected officials, foundations, fellow arts institutions and other community leaders to determine the future for the organization.

"We have had a relationship with the Church for almost 40 years and expected them to value that relationship and more importantly, the service we provide to the community" Saiz said. "We are not going to allow their needs for funds to pay off their debts stop us from that service."

Self Help Graphics & Art is a nationally recognized center for Chicano and Latino arts that develops and nurtures artists and printmaking. Self Help Graphics & Art seeks to advance Chicano and Latino art broadly through programming, exhibitions and outreach to diverse audiences in East Los Angeles and beyond. Self Help Graphics & Art seeks to identify young and emerging artists from the community in all aspects of its activities.

Contact: Valarie De La Garza, 310/435-8578

LACMA's Phantom Sightings pt. 2

As you can read below I was at the April 2nd opening night of Phantom Sightings: Art After The Chicano Movement. I was also at the Saturday April 5th symposium titled Phantom Sites: Rethinking Identity and Place in Contemporary Art. I returned last Friday to check out the show at a casual pace and I have tried to read all the reviews, about the show which have been compiled by Harry Gamboa Jr.

A couple of issues that keep arising are the subtitle: Art after the Chicano Movement, and thus 'What then is Chicano Art?'

Some of the reviews have been gentle, others searing with their words, not about the art per se, but the spirit and thus the curatorial framework which aims to present art by Chicanos who don't necessarily see themselves as Chicano. This leads to a lot of questions as to why then even call it Chicano art?

In discussions at the symposium, about the symposium and in the hallways of the collective mental barrio, other questions or snipes have emerged such as: 'After the Chicano Movement? I didn't know it was over?' or 'What is this talk about post-Chicano, or post-race? Sounds like an Obama campaign tactic on the loose.' (I like that one in particular.)

I asked one of the panelists, after the symposium, out on the lawn, "Why did they think the curators left out any art that referenced the Zapatistas or indigenismo? Surely these two have influenced a lot of art and artists 'after the movement.' "

They claimed, without a pause, that it was not conceptual art and that it was claiming a lineage. (I'm using 'they' to hide their identity. They are well versed in the art world, I respect them, they were on the panel, I know they weren't one of the curators, but their opinion still matters.)

I replied with, "To be born in Boyle Heights, and to never have spent a moment in the Lancandon jungle, but still claim to support and be inspired by the lives of the Zapatistas is totally conceptual. As far as lineage, are you saying that an indigenous lineage, which has its own language, cosmology and theories behind it, isn't a valid lineage for this show? Does art have to follow a German abstract, plastic based, Dadist lineage to be considered?"

They couldn't say anything to that. I still want that answered from someone, por favor.

Overall I believe that this is another example of the institutionalization of Chicanos. Chicana/o Studies Depts. have become fairly institutionalized, concerning themselves too much with tenure, theories, funding and not offending the others. Many departments have sheepishly agreed or initiated changing the name to Latino Studies or falling under the Ethnic Studies umbrella. I know I am at the Chicana/o bubble that is CSUN, but wasn't it the original goal of all these programs and centers to become their own single standing full blown department like we have at CSUN? And not to cave in and become part of the system while settling for less?

We are part of the system at CSUN too, its not liberated Aztlan over there. We recognize there are students and faculty that would like to move into a post-Chicano world, but we ask "Have the issues that forced us to take a stand 30 plus years ago been eliminated? Have we stopped dropping out of sub par schools? Have we stopped being forced into a life and death in a military fighting an unjust war? Are our people who are crossing the border being treated like humans? Just because Raza are the majority in the LAPD, are we being treated any better? Does our brown mayor really work for us, or for the big money in the city?" How can we be post-Chicano or post-Race if the problems and issues are still with us and in some cases stronger and worse today than before?

I think our MFAs, BAs, MAs and PhDs are blinding us and making us think that since me and mine got ours it must be all good in the 'hood. This art show is in a sense a result of the success of Chicana/o Studies. We got a lot of peeps into college and got them degrees, we just didn't think it would look like this.

At the symposium one of the panelists said "This art is for people that go to galleries and get all the references." OK then. So this art is geared to an art educated audience? Fine.

When I told my students they could get extra credit for going to this show I told them that they would see stuff that would make them think "That is considered art?"

I told them (they are all writing students) "When you think that, look for the description. It will be a paragraph somewhere near the piece. Try to read it. I know it may be confusing. It was written for curators and people who study art. That paragraph makes it art. If you can learn to write so only a few educated people will understand you, then you can make a lot of money putting stuff up in galleries that most people will go: 'That is considered art?'"

I'm sorry if that offends anyone.

In my first Chicano Studies class at CSUN I had Dr. Rudy Acu~a as my first teacher, my first day of school. He said that first day, "We are here to learn. We are here to learn to love to learn. We are here to learn not only what they want us to learn, but as Chicanos we have to learn about ourselves and our history. Once we learn everything we can, we need to be able to go back to our grandmother, who crossed the border to have your mom or dad be born here, and be able to explain to her what you learned and why it is important. If you can't explain what you know to your grandma, or your community, and have her or them understand its importance, then you really didn't learn anything important." I take that to the heart.

On Sunday May 4th Chicano artist Harry Gamboa Jr. and Sandra de la Loza will have a conversation about this much discussed show at LACMA's Brown auditorium. I can't wait to hear what he has to say about this show which features him so prominently. I know he won't let us down. He won't let us keep trying to make phantoms of ourselves.

__________________________________

Post Script:

Just got this email about this event featuring 2 of the curators of the show. This should be an informative evening that settles a lot of questions.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008 7:00 pm

Please join us for a special LECTURE at the Hammer
Curating Race: A Conversation on Curating Ethnically Specific Exhibitions

Moderated by Chon Noriega, Director of the CSRC, Professor, UCLA Dept.
of Film, Television, and Digital Media; and Adjunct Curator at the Los
Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) on the occasion of One Way or
Another: Asian American Art Now at the Japanese American National Museum
(JANM) and Phantom Sightings: Art after the Chicano Movement (LACMA).

With Malik Gaines, Independent writer and performer; adjunct curator at
LA ART; Rita Gonzalez, assistant curator, Special Exhibitions, LACMA;
and Karin Higa, adjunct senior curator at Art, JANM.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008 7:00 pm

Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024

(Located at the northeast corner of Westwood and Wilshire Blvds. in
Westwood Village, 3 blks. east of the 405 freeway’s Wilshire Blvd. exit.
Parking available for $3 under the museum for the first 3 hours).

This lecture is free and open to the public.

For more information: www.hammer.ucla.edu
or (310) 443-7000

Pachucoville/Oscar predictions...

Why not?
I love movies. Tis' the season to be critical.

BEST PICTURE:

"Little Miss Sunshine" come on this is a freaking comedy! Does the academy like giving Oscar noms and awards to films that show how fucked up families can be? Think "American Beauty." "Borat" should be nominated since LMS got in. Both show how screwed up Americans are. Cute yes, laugh out loud ofcourse, best pic? Por Favor, no.

"Babel" good but not all that. Inarritu has done this formula in his past, now he had more money and a bigger cast. Simple story (for me at least), somewhat touching, relevant, ok acting (it was all in the editing) BUT a film basically about American media overreaction, human links, and a Japanese girl's chonch shot should not make a Best Picture. In that case a movie tracking a Fed Ex package from New York to LA to Kyoto to Bejing, to Athens, to Paris could do the same. Let's do it!

"Letters From Iwo Jima" Mr. Eastwood is the man. This was great film making. Is is a best pic? Sure. Is there better stuff? Read on...

"The Queen" only people who give a crap about the Queen of England, give a fuck about the Queen of England. Who cares? Why should I? Pobrecita had a media issue? ay ay ay. Fuck it. This should have never made out of the TV movie it should have been.

BEST PICTURE WINNER IN PACHUCOVILLE: "Children of Men" or "Pan's Labrynth"

Children of Men: Ofcourse it is not nominated! It scares the shit out of people. This actually says something that "Babel" tried, and "The Queen" thought it did. The acting, action, cinematography, story, everything rocked. Clive Owen, sure he is becoming too much like hound dog Harrison Ford, but he can play moral ambiguity like the best of them.

Pan's Labrynth: A perfect mix of two very different film genres made to seem like they always belonged together. You care about the peeps real and not, the story, the colors, I felt like licking the screen it looked and played so good.


BEST DIRECTOR:

Clint Eastwood, I love this man's eye, his pacing, his subtle touch, the way you forget you are watching a grand film. He is Scorsese's worst nightmare.

Stephen Frears, come on homeboy, you got so lucky with this. Your lead actress has played this role how many times? Can she play any other role? What did you do other than turn on the camera and let her go off on replay?

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu deserved an Oscar for "Amores Perros." It was new, gritty, exciting, hot, took you places most have never been, brought issues up that were commonly uncomfortable, but for "Babel?" No. "Amores Perros" changed film making in many circles, "Babel" shows he is running in circles. Adelante hombre! You are a bad ass. Stop being comfortable.

Paul Greengrass, his name is very cool, Greengrass, love it. Love it a lot. What film did he make?

Martin Scorsese is the man. He should have won for "Raging Bull," "Good Fellas," and yes "Gangs of New York." Dicaprio fucked that up for him though. "Departed," like many are saying, is warmed over Scorsese, just like I'm saying "Babel" is warmed over Inarritu. Marty has been there and done that. Does he deserve the Oscar, ofcourse, will he win? I would think so, but....


Best Director in Pachucoville: TIE!!!! Alfonso Cuarron and Guillermo Del Toro

Cuaron made a vision without losing the dirt, the blood, the gut twisting decisions humans in extreme situations must make. "Children of Men" will be one of those films that we look at many years from now and hopefully go "Dang we are so lucky we missed all those bullets."

Del Toro made a film that parents love and I bet would love their kids to see, if not for the crazy beat downs and torture. He brought two worlds together and blended them seamlessly without cheap or played out tricks. His story moved you on every level: As a revolutionary, as a parent, as a believer in the unperceiveable, as a lover of beauty.


BEST ACTOR

Leonardo Dicaprio needs to step up to his directors or handlers and tell them to let him get dirty, let his hair get messy, let his fingernails get broken. Please, the accent was ok but nothing else made you think this fool could be a bad ass in black Africa.

Will Smith got jiggy with his little film. So did Sacha Cohen in "Borat." It ain't fair. Smith makes his peeps money already, so they don't have to give him an Oscar til waaayyyy later.

Peter O'Toole, one word : TOOL

Ryan Gosling, now here we are hitting some carne. Crack head teacher, sure. Lot's of them. Great job.

Forrest Whittaker, THE WINNER here in Pachucoville and on Oscar night.
This vato, in my book, can do no wrong. Give it to him for all his work, give it to him for becoming Idi Amin. Whatever, he is far and above all the other guys in this race.


BEST ACTRESS

Penelope Cruz, eye candy that can act when her creator, the amazing Pedro Almodovar, is pulling her strings. Otherwise, you get nada out of this European Espa~ola who has been working the Raza angle.

Judi Dench as a pissy lesbian hustling it. Was this role written for her or what? Was there any acting involved? Overall the Academy seems to always need some English accents around during Oscar time, whether or not the acting is great.

Helen Mirren as the Queen of England. Like I said she can't play any other role and how many times has she played the Queen? No acting required. No Oscar should go to her for this.

Merly Streep played a character/archtype/one dimensional over the top fun to watch wreck. Could she have shown us that she is a human under all the Prada, she should have.

Kate Winslet, THE WINNER here in Pachucoville, but unfortunately will be losing to Mirren on Oscar night. She played all those little emotions we hide beneath the surface when we are playing our roles and when we play the roles on top of the roles we play in life. Simple, tense, deserving.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN PACHUCOVILLE

EDDIE MURPHY, "Dreamgirls"

I love Eddie Murphy, I hate his career choices. He is a true acting genius that needs an Almodovar, a Scorsese, or some other great director to help him make better choices than "Norbit." In "Dreamgirls" he simply rocked. You could almost feel the slime on him when he worked that girl in the bus, you could feel his heart beating out of his chest when he was high and you were just as dizzy, pissed off and confused when he crashes on stage. One day we will look back and realize that Eddie Murphy is a true bad ass. I really, really hope he wins Oscar night and drops a phat ass speech.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN PACHUCOVILLE

RINKO KIKUCHI, "Babel"

Sure she was naked and showing off her kuchi but it was not her naked body (parts) that kept you hoping some one would finally give her what she needed. It was her pain, her lonliness and her little girl innocence she pulled out of her 23 or 26 yr old mind. Her silence made more noise than all of Pitt's screaming and yelling.



These are my two cents on this year's flickas. We'll see what happens. Any Oscar party invites you want to throw my way, I promise to keep my opinions to these pages, but the beer I will bring will be for all.