W2 Professor Alicia Gaspar de Alba's Presentation & La Virgen De Guadalupe discussion

I really enjoyed Professor De Alba's presentation on her research experience of the CARA exhibit. What stood out to me was when she clarified the difference between art for art's sake and art with strong social relevance. She found the latter distinction in the Chicana/o art she was exposed to for the first time then. I hope to take a course with Professor De Alba at one point in my academic trek here. The artist I chose for my presentation and whose I'll be sharing to the class this quarter is definitely outspoken and an advocate for social change through her artwork. I look forward to informing the class about her work and intentions.

I grew up with La Virgin de Guadalupe being central in our home and faith. Many years through elementary and in conjunction with catechism I recall learning her importance as the holy Mother and celebrating her through theatrical reenactments, the pilgrimages from house to house-- las posadas-- commemorating Maria and José's travels from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and being woken up in the early morning hours by my parents on December 12 to go to special mass in her honor. We have a large cuadro, a framed image of her in our living room. My first communion my godmother gave me a gold necklace with a gold pendant of the Virgin encompassed by an oval of gold radiating rays. Watching my cousin's on their wedding days I observed their floral and prayer offerings to the Virgin statue on the altar. Praying the rosary on special occasions my mom would also put together an altar and pick roses and flowers from our front and back yards. Although I grew up as a devout Catholic my dedication to it hasn't been the same in the past few years. Despite this I have faith, pray and even have a little statue of la Virgen that I brought from home and placed on my desk. My sister's boyfriend is an artist who has always sketched la Virgen and recently even got a large tattoo of her spanning the entirety of his back.

When I first saw the various renditions of the Virgin by Chicana artists I was shocked but also become very curious as to why they depicted her in unexpected scenarios and attire. I of course at first experience them as sacrilegious but a larger part of me was intrigued by them. Having an open mind is definitely a prerequisite and I'm glad I was able to learn about the reasonings behind these images. I know many people who would become angry at these images which ultimately serve to demonstrate the hegemonic effects of religion and patriarchal values. I think its great that artists have thought outside these parameters and have envisioned her as a woman with choices, strength and power so that women can identify with her as well.

Professor Alma Lopez's research on the validity of the apparition story is another fascinating exploration of Mexican, Mexican-American, and Chicana/o culture. I'll learned to always question and think critically about normative notions and beliefs. I don't think that questioning the event is necessarily bad, I believe that it is actually part of one's journey of identity to seek out the real history of one's roots and culture. Seeking the truth and discrediting norms is empowering in and of itself and then sharing that knowledge with others is important as well. Whether the story is true or not, I feel it is powerful already that a woman is being idolized and highly revered in our culture and the extension of this by these Chicana/o artists in their renditions actually enhances her overall position as a central woman that can be relatable in other ways aside from the traditional one.