Week 5: Ofelia Esparza

It was a pleasure to get to hear from Ofelia Esparza. I was glad to learn more about her upbringing and the experiences which have influenced her art making. The artist highly honors women power, indigenous heritage and spirituality, which is evident in her art. Esparza explained that she grew up with very strong female role models, which ultimately shaped her view of the world and the art which she makes. It is inspiring to see how much pride she takes in her work. She was born in East Los Angeles and has lived there her whole life. Her art enriches the Chicanx community which she has grown up around and has been a part of. Her altar making pays homage to the past people and events. Esparza's altars range from personal ofrendas to assemblages that address larger issues facing the Chincx community. Her work has been exhibited widely and has even been a part of the first Day of the Dead exhibit in Glasgow, Scotland. She has been recognized for her tremendous works and contributions, and in 2018 became a NEA National Heritage Fellow. It was very exciting to learn that she served as a cultural consultant in the film Coco. Her daughter explained that the film producers took into account their vision of altares and ofrendas serving as a bridge that connects us to our ancestors. They incorporated into the film a bridge which connected the world of the living and the world of those who had passed. I am very thankful to have gotten a chance to hear from the artist herself. Both her work and personality are extremely inspiring.