A Latino celebration
Varied works of nine artists form ‘Pasos de Arte’
In recognition of the growing and vibrant Latino community in central Ohio, the Columbus Cultural Arts Center is hosting an exhibit by nine artists with ties to Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
The opening of “Pasos de Arte” (“Walk Through Art”) was timed to coincide with Festival Latino, which took place this month Downtown. The exhibit continues through Sept. 16.
The exhibit, curated by Sarah Rogers of the Columbus Museum of Art, was organized by a number of cultural groups, including the Our Lady of Guadalupe Center and the Columbus chapter of Prospanica, an association of Hispanic professionals.
The artists — chosen after an open call for submissions — represent a wealth of cultures, mediums and styles, Rogers said.
“In looking around at the art-filled gallery, I am reminded that we are stronger together as we celebrate that which makes us unique.”
Each artist is represented with a sampling of works.
Some of the most impressive pieces are the black-and-white woodcuts and intaglio prints by Eliana Calle-Saari.
The vertical woodcut “Cafe” shows a Latino man, perhaps a coffee-plantation worker; “Desde Mi Ventana” presents two women looking out a window.
Also working in black and white is Amanda Martinez, whose ink-and-pencil works “Mental” and “Intestine” display a love of pattern and abstraction.
Rosa Rojas used Japanese paper, acrylic paint and copper foil to create a study in red block and circular shapes in “Motion and Emotion No. 5.”
Jeremy Rosario is represented mostly by oil-on-canvas portraits, including “El Pan Nuestro,” in which a winsome girl looks out at the viewer, her eyes diverted from the cup and plate of food before her.
Most eye-catching are the vibrant works created from candy wrappers and paint on glass by Nelsa Abalo.
“Calendario Azteca” is a medallion of gold, green, red, black and amber with a face at the center: Tonatiuh, the Aztec deity of the sun. “FeriaElefante” shows a white, decorated elephant before a background of brightly colored floral designs. Like all five of Abalo’s works in the exhibit, these two have the brilliance and appeal of a stained-glass window.
Also represented in the exhibit are Cecilia Roman, with abstract acrylic landscapes; Hector Castellanos, with acrylic-on-clayboard works, including the appealing “Sombrero de Copa”; and Mary Avalos-Miller, whose works include the lively acrylic cityscape “Mexico City.”
And, with “Celebration of Lucha,” Jesus Walle pays tribute to Lucha Libre, a type of Mexican professional wrestling, with 12 acrylic and permanent-marker graphic squares assembled together.
“There is such a range of experiences,” Rogers said, “but in many of the works, there are obvious ties to culture or homeland.”