Carmen Lomas Garza

One of my favorite Carmen Lomas Garza’s paintings is Quinceañera (2001). The painting illustrates people gathering outside a church to celebrate a young woman’s fifteenth birthday celebration. Garza states that many years ago she passed by a church and happened to see an extraordinary quinceañera celebration. The image is very significant to her because she was unable to have a quinceañera, so she included a young version of herself in the painting. She is the young girl with the red skirt at the top of the staircase. The transition of adolescent women is celebrated in different ways and at different ages in the world. In Mexico, it has a very particular rooting and is celebrated when the girl turns fifteen. It does not exactly mean that girls are ready for marriage, as some others believe the tradition. Rather, it represents a girl’s passage into adulthood. The quinceañera is a highly Catholic tradition although it is also celebrated in other Christian churches. Garza hopes that viewers of her work will come to realize the importance of events in Mexican American communities. The event brings the community, friends, and cultures together to celebrate a traditional ritual. The celebration strengthens the faith of the Catholic youth as well as fosters spiritual and personal growth.