CD. JUAREZ — Thousands of Juarenses gathered at the Chamizal Park during a month of Fiesta Juárez as this city continues to move away from a dark decade of violence forward to family fun and entertainment. Fiesta Juarez offered music, sports, mechanical games, a circus, rodeo, charrería and art exhibitionsfor in September and October. Performances were spread out over three different stages at the fair. Foro fiesta de las estrellas where national and local artists performed.
CD. JUAREZ — Localizado en el histórico monumento a Benito Juárez, el Bazar del Monu se convierte todos los domingos en un ‘mecca’ para intelectuales, poetas, escritores, artistas, malabaristas, titiriteros, y en esta ocasión, en estrellas de la lucha libre Mexicana. “Tenemos ya 17 años utilizando este espacio como bazar artístico”, dijo Pablo Montalvo, fundador original del Bazar del Monu. Desde sus orígenes trató de hacerlo en un lugar donde los jóvenes y personas en general pudieran juntarse, expresar y compartir sus más grandes gustos en cuanto al arte se refiere, dijo Montalvo. Montalvo recordó que la idea para el espacio público artístico comenzó en mayo de 1998 cuando él y un amigo, Humberto González, conocido como “el Sabio,” buscaban un lugar donde intercambiar discos de vinyl.
Matthew Rothblatt waited for what seemed like an eternity for the first printed copies of the first comic book he created to arrive and when Spiralmind finally did, he asked his wife to get a camera and record the moment as he cut open the box. “I still remember putting the box on the table, and making my wife take pictures because I knew I’d want to go back to that moment,” said Phi3 Comics co-owner Rothblatt ,43. “I remember opening the box and they were stacked in there in all this shredded paper and had a band around them. Related: Spiralmind Comic Delivers in English and Spanish
Seven years later, Rothblatt and co-owner Ben Perez are still producing comics and working on getting their character, Spiralmind, recognized around the world. Spiralmind battles evil characters using mental powers that can manipulate reality across dimensions.
Twice a month on the far east side of El Paso, an empty lot comes to life with Indie rock music wafting in the air as food trucks gather, and sales stands display glistening Day of the Dead skulls made from putty in white and black, with paintings of monsters lurking behind them. The Punk Rock Flea Market’s creator and organizer, Mia Valdez, said she got the idea of bringing to El Paso something of this sort after learning of a New Jersey horror market that sells horror and unique art. Valdez, a sculptor from El Paso, always thought there weren’t enough outlets for her to sell and promote her handmade putty skeletons. After researching the Web she found out there are punk rock markets all over the United States except in El Paso. “This is ridiculous,” said Valdez who was born in El Paso.
In the neighboring cities of El Paso and Juarez, a border region where Mexican and U.S. cultures intertwine, divided and connected by the Rio Grande, you can find a great number of authentic cuisines, from the typical U.S. burger and fries to homestyle Mexican tacos and enchiladas. Although this variety is satisfying for Borderlanders, it often leaves me craving “pupusas” and “tamales de hoja de platano,” two dishes common to one-half of my ethnic background which is Mexican and Salvadoran. This means I usually need to wait for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays to satisfy my Salvadoran taste buds, when my Mexican-born mom cooks up traditional Salvadoran dishes she’s mastered since she married my Salvadoran dad 25 years ago. Hopefully, one day someone will open a Salvadoran restaurant on the East side close to home. Related story: Popular Latin American foods show common characteristics, diverse accents
EL PASO –There are a lot of events going on in this city every September, but the annual St. Anthony’s Seminary Bazaar has become a must-attend affair, famous for its music, gorditas, enchiladas and family-friendly fun. “The enchiladas are the best I’ve ever had. I had nine yesterday. And I’m an enchilada connoisseur,” said 33 year old John Lloyd Gardner, who attended his first St.
EL PASO — Por segundo año consecutivo la Asociación de Vecinos del Segundo Barrio organizó este pasado domingo, la denominada fiesta de la cuadra o “block party” en las calles Fourth y Park para celebrar la cultura Mexicana en este mes de la herencia hispana. La celebración es para reunir a la comunidad del vecindario y también de toda la ciudad que es mayormente hispana. Durante el evento de seis horas las más de 500 personas que asistieron pudieron disfrutar de diferentes tipos de bailes a cargo de los alumnos del ballet folclórico de Amalia Hernández, así como también de ricos antojitos y buena música. Felix Rivera, que ha vivido en el Segundo Barrio desde que nació, agradeció a la asociación de vecinos por organizar este tipo de evento y darle una mejor imagen al vecindario que es uno de los mas antiguos y mas necesitados de la ciudad. “El evento de este día es donde se junta la comunidad del segundo barrio y celebran que no hay ´gangas´ y que todos los vecinos estamos juntos”, dijo Rivera.
EL PASO — In one photograph an old baby doll lays crippled on the harsh gray street, one eye-socket empty, one leg missing. In another photo a shoeshine man works fevershly on a cowboy’s boots. The reality of border life seen through the lenses of 12 El Paso area photographers is on exhibit at Fotos Septiembre: Through the Eyes of Borderland Photographers (originally titled Foto Septiembre – Visual Stills Along La Frontera) through October 23 at the La Fe Culture and Technology Center’s Galería Aztlan. All the works show and represent Chicano heritage. This is the exhibition’s second year showcasing professional and amateur photographers.
JUAREZ — The photograph is a self-portrait. But it shows two women — two manifestations of the same woman, a woman who calls herself a hybrid, a dislocated immigrant who still feels at home in a strange new land as she attempts to uncover her own special identity. “I experience a kind of dislocated identity, which I think it’s very common in migrants; feeling like outsiders,” said photographer Sabina Loghin who emigrated from Romania to Mexico when she was four years old. Far from resenting the lack of a visible community from her home country in Cd. Juarez, Loghin embraces her unique hybridization, and acknowledges it as the main inspiration for her art.
EL PASO — Las siete mujeres bajan del escenario donde por mas de una hora llenaron de alegría el ambiente con canciones como “Volver Volver”, “Mariachi Loco”, entre otras, finalizando exitosamente una presentación mas del grupo al que pertenecen, Mariachi femenil Las Caponeras. Las Caponeras cuentan ya con 15 años llevando la música tradicional Mexicana a diferentes lugares de El Paso. “Es la primera vez que las escucho y me gustó mucho el show; me recordó mucho a mi México, y mas que es un mariachi femenil, me encanto porque no siempre tienen que ser solo hombres”, dijo Gloria Guzmán, después de presenciar la presentación del grupo en Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino. Guzmán, residente de El Paso, quien lleva mas de 10 anos viviendo lejos de México, dijo sentirse feliz de ver que la igualdad de género también se refleja en la música, ya que el mariachi es comúnmente conformado por hombres. Por otro lado, Angélica Flores, una maestra paseña seguidora de Las Caponeras, ha tenido la oportunidad de escucharlas varias veces e inclusive las ha contratado para fiestas familiares.
The owner of a unique boutique in Juarez, called Julia & Ernestina, is hoping that the store’s mix of U.S. collectibles, Mexican antiques and artisan crafts can keep shoppers south of the border. “Everyone runs to El Paso to buy things, leaving Ciudad Juarez at a disadvantage,” said store owner Monica Renee Morales Gallo. She believes that in order for Ciudad Juarez to rebound economically money has to be circulating in the city and not outside. Julia & Ernestina is filled with products made by artisans, designers and companies from different parts of the Mexican republic. It also carries collectibles and one-of-a-kind items.
“Julia & Ernestina is a new concept here in Ciudad Juarez,” Morales said.
EL PASO —El grito de “huelga” de la lucha chicana estalla bajo el reventazón de automóviles donde la carretera I-10 cruza de aqui hacia Cd. Juarez sobre sobre tres enormes pilares rojos – uno con la cara y cuerpo de Dolores Huerta y otro con el águila azteca. Para Gabriel Gaytán, de 60 años de edad, el pintor principal del nuevo mural llamado “Huelga”, la imagen de Huerta elevando el cartelón de huelga hacia los cielos demuestra la trascendencia de las duras luchas ganadas por los derechos de los México-americanos. Dijo que fue pintado en honor a la vida y obra de Huerta y de Cesar Chávez. Mejor conocido como el “Chicano Park 2”, Lincoln Park, debajo de Interestatal I-10 cerca del centro de El Paso, atrapa miradas con sus columnas pintadas de murales que destacan y reflejan la huella de la cultura Chicana, o mexicoamericana, en la frontera.
EL PASO – There’s a big block party taking shape in Segundo Barrio to bring El Paso to the city’s founding neighborhood in September to celebrate local culture and life, enjoy community, good food, music and dancing in the street. The South Side Neighborhood Association in the Segundo Barrio is busy organizing a block party for their neighbors and many others across the city. They say the massive celebration is for the community to come together, and to give the rest of El Paso insight into their neighborhood.This is the second year for the festivities. Last year, the neighborhood association, which has more than 40 members, hosted approximately 400 people. This time, the crowd is expected to double and the site has been extended from one block to two. “Red” Romo, a member of the association, said that he hoped the block party would show people the Segundo Barrio isn’t as dangerous as it used to be. “We had too many gangs here going on, now slowly, little by little, we got rid of the gangs and it’s better now,” Romo said.
EL PASO, TEXAS – Nos llaman la atención de vez en cuando. Son carros de los años 50 a los 80, con llantas pequeñas, colores llamativos como amarillo y morado. Los Lowrider siguen una tradición que refleja la herencia Chicana en la frontera hoy en día. “Es algo bueno para la comunidad en los jóvenes que en vez de andar haciendo cosas malas es mejor trabajar en un carro”, dijo Eduardo Becker, un aficionado a los Lowrider que trabaja en atención a clientes. Fue este mensaje uno de los principales objetivos que llevó a los miembros de clubs Lowrider a reunirse en las instalaciones administrativas de El Paso Community College en marzo para dar conocer su importancia en la comunidad.
Barro negro, textiles, árboles de la vida, cuchillería, cestería, platería, orfebrería, barro bruñido, comida típica y antojitos mexicanos forman parte del extensor surtido de historia y cultura Mexicana aparente en sus artes plásticas. “Un viaje por nuestra republica, una travesía por la cultura mexicana” dijo Araceli Gómez. 35, quien es la organizadora de la exposición Arte Mexicana actualmente en recorrido por todo México. Las tradiciones y la cultura Mexicana tienen una larga historia, orgullosa de sus orígenes y lazos ancestrales la exhibición recorre el país cada año exhibiendo su fascinante arte. La exposición de artesanía, tiene como objetivo promover y comercializar productos fabricados por artesanos de toda la republica.
El Paso is unlike any other city in the nation with its unique cultural dynamic. The city’s arts and events bring thousands of visitors every year and more than $2 million in direct spending. In this TV-style news magazine, journalism students at the University of Texas at El Paso take a closer look at some of El Paso’s artists and how economic efforts are affecting the creative community. The show aired live on Google Hangouts on Air on May 29, 2015. The program was made possible by support from the Sam Donaldson Center for Communication Studies, the UTEP Department of Communication and Borderzine.com
See the complete special report and featured stories here.
El Paso’s proximity to Mexico impacts art in a unique way. The culture is illustrated in works now seen across the nation. Borderzine broadcast reporter Andria Granado introduces us to one defining Chicano artist, Gaspar Enriquez.
Students in UT El Paso’s Commercial Music Ensemble class capture their version of the Motown hit “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” in video. The group is directed by Chris Reyman and Brian Downen, assistant professors with the UTEP Department of Music. The ensemble of music majors performed at several events this semester, including the grand opening for Centennial Plaza and the honors convocation reception.
EL PASO — Searching all over the northern parts of Mexico in 1976 for the origin of some pottery he found at a second hand store in Deming, NM, Spencer MacCallum came to a town just about three blocks long, on the verge of extinction. The anthropologist found Juan Quezada, the artisan who made the pots, there in Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua, and together they would help not only revive the town, but the art form as well. El Paso got a taste of what has been called the miracle of Mata Ortiz when the Consulate General of Mexico here honored MacCallum with the Ohtli Award on May 5 in recognition of his role in helping gain international recognition for the Mata Ortiz artisans and their work. The reception marked the opening of an exhibit of Mata Ortiz pottery at the consulate at 910 E. San Antonio Ave. “The Miracle of Mata Ortiz has been something special, enormous, grand.
While Karla Hernandez Mares studied the art of photography as a teenager, she later found the camera could be a powerful tool for raising awareness and international support in the fight against human suffering.As a documentary photographer based in Mexico City, Hernandez Mares has used her lens to investigate human rights violations and reflect the reality of conditions face d by people living in devastating poverty. She has worked with Amnesty International, the Equipo Argentino de Antropologia Forense, Fundacion para la Justicia y el Estado Democratico de Derecho, and the Community Police Monitoring Project (MOCIPOL) based at the Tlachinollan Human Rights Center in Tlapa, Guerrero. She also coordinated outreach, training and documentation for the migrant rights component of the Mexican chapter of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal, an international organization that uses International human rights law and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted by the United Nations to investigate crimes against humanity around the world. Hernandez Mares began working with Amnesty International in 2009. She said the organization – with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries – has been an important partner in helping to protect the rights of indigenous peoples in Mexico.
Not every bar with a stage allows young adults under the age of 21 inside to enjoy the band, so here are some bumping places in El Paso where young music lovers can relish in some live tunes. 1. Tricky Falls – 209 S. El Paso St. Are you a hardcore metal-head ready to get hardcore? Then, Tricky Falls is the way to go.
In recent years, tattoos have transitioned from taboo to mainstream and are now being embraced by the art world, much like graffiti. “Tattoos are a part of pop culture now,” said Chris “Drts” Aragon of Sun City Tattoos. “They are so common nowadays that they actually make people more approachable.”
The growing popularity of tattoos is evident in reality television shows such as “Miami Ink,” “Ink Master,” and “Tattoo Nightmares.” Some advertisers are now also legitimizing tattoos by using tattooed models to sell products like perfume and clothing. “I think tattoos are seen in society with a more open mind nowadays,” said Myker Yrrobali, another artist at Sun City Tattoos.
EL PASO –The go-carts at Zero to 60 Indoor Motor Speedway aren’t your dad’s go-karts. “That was a rush,” says Pearl Martinez. “This was our first time here, my son and I did one race, and it was such a rush we had to do it again. The go-karts are super fast, and you actually drift a bit! I’m hooked now.”
Sporting the newest in cart technology, the totally electric carts at Zero to 60 Motor Speedway can reach speeds up to 50 miles per hour.
“Who gave this son of a bitch his green card?” said Sean Penn handing an Oscar for best picture to Mexican-born Film Director Alejandro González Iñárritu at the recent film Academy Awards. Talent. His talent gave him a green card. What was meant as an inside joke sparked outrage in immigrants all over the country.
Empieza los viernes en la mañana. Esmalte de uñas verde, blanco y rojo para representar a la bandera mexicana, alternando esos colores en cada dedo del pie. El esmalte debe secar y endurecerse para la función de la noche. En la oficina, nadie nota que la transformación ya ha empezado. Los calcetines y zapatos lo ocultan, pero en mi mente los colores y las imágenes de contoneos me invaden paulatinamente.
CD.JUAREZ — En las calles abandonadas como cadáveres olvidados en una ciudad víctima de la violencia, jovenes artistas generan una visión diferente como una nueva alba cultural que refleja cambios en Ciudad Juárez. Se llama Color Walk. Con un gran talento y sobre todo mucha pasión, estos jóvenes muestran artísticamente la indignidad de la violencia que se ha vivido aquí en la última decada. Del 2008 a la fecha, la ciudad se ha mantenido en una lucha de recuperaracion, buscando una identidad perdida debido a la violencia que cambio marcadamente la vida de miles de juarenses. “Color Walk es una idea que viene de imitar modelos muralistas que ya existen de otras partes del mundo, los mas famosos que han tenido mucho peso, como los de Polonia, Miami, Bogota, Puerto Rico en San Juan”, dijo Rene Nava.
EL PASO — Es miércoles por la noche y mientras la mayoría de los jóvenes en la frontera se relajan jugando Xbox o terminando sus deberes escolares, los bailarines de la academia de baile, Ballet Folclórico of El Paso, pasan tres horas practicando pasos de baile, practicando su español y estudiando la cultura mexicana y sus tradiciones. Con una gran sonrisa y vestido de charro, Esteban Esquivel, de 18 años zapatea enérgicamente las tablas del piso de madera y hace retumbar las paredes del salon donde practica el baile folclórico con otros 10 alumnos. “Yo siento el amor por la cultura de México”, dijo Esquivel, un estudiante de último año en Cathedral High School que nació en El Paso. “La representación de mi cultura mexicana para mi es algo muy grande, yo viviendo en los Estados Unidos no tengo que olvidarme de la cultura mexicana y de donde vinieron mis papas. Yo también tengo que vivir y sentir la tradición de México a pesar de ser estadounidense”.
EL PASO – Chocolates and romance may be typical fare for a traditional Valentine’s Day, but not at Café Mayapán where the words of strong Latinas were served up on Feb. 14 in a series of performances to raise awareness against domestic violence. About 100 people attended the event, Tonantzín Rising, a part of the national One Billion Rising movement, sponsored locally by Wise Latina International and La Mujer Obrera. The event, in its third year, included traditional music, dance, and portrayals of famous Latinas, such La Malinche and Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz among others. “We renamed it Tonantzín Rising because to us we are people of the Earth, and Tonantzín is mother Earth,” said Cemelli De Aztlan, one of the coordinators of the event.
Editor’s note: U.S. Poet Laureate Philip Levine died Feb. 14 in Fresno, Calif. at age 87. In 2013, the poet known for giving “a voice to the voiceless” spoke at UT El Paso and spent time visiting classes and talking with students and faculty. Here is Borderzine’s story of that visit, originally published March 29, 2013.
