Carmen Lomas Garza

Carmen Lomas Garza was know for her intricate creations of art that portrayed the racist and discrimnatory time periods in Kingsville, Texas. One of Garza’s famous creations, called the Cakewalk, illustrates one of AGIF’s community events. In this event, numbers are chalked in squares on the pavement, forming a large circle, and as music plays participants around the circle halt when the music stops. A random number is announced and the participant who has landed on the number receives a cake. The events’ soul purpose is to advocate community participation and cohesion. I really found the idea behind the event intriguing, because it really portrays the effort that Latino Americans placed in ending discrimination and racism within Latino communities. Garzas’ painting not only illustrates the event, but it also creates a piece of history that is immortal to all Latino Americans who joined the movement and supported the cause. Once again Garza uses her intricate artistic ability to create a portrait that not only illustrates art, but uses art to convey a political message to the whole world. The Cakewalk piece is truly special for those very reasons, and I hope that one day I can visit an exhibit that carries this specific piece.