EP Poetry Nite 2009

El Placazo has been very blessed with high quality adult mentors over the last several months, the most recent additions being three Our Lady of the Lake University students who came in every Wednesday afternoon. These lovely ladies are English Education majors at OLLU, so they were practicing their craft by teaching our students some of the finer points of writing and journalism. The highlights, however, were their lessons in poetry. They taught the students about different types of poetry, how to write a good poem, and how to give a powerful reading. They worked for several weeks writing and rehearsing their poems, all leading up to the grand finale: a poetry reading at Guadalupe Street Coffee!!

All of the participants and some parents came out on Wednesday night to have an evening of poetry, fun, and fellowship. It was a great success! Here are some pictures from the event:

The students participated in a group reading on how to annoy your teacher. Hopefully they don't use this knowledge on Cristina! 

Serenity getting some last minute pointers from her mentor, Tess

Alexandra and her dad, Rico, reading a poem about her grandma (pictured on Rico's forearm)

Jeremiah G. reciting his poem

Erica, dressed in red, recited her poem about Big Red

Ashley proudly showing off what she wrote

Jeremiah V. and his mom, Dolores, practice her poem called "Toes"

Just another day with El Placazo: poetry reading and picture taking!

Special thanks to Liz, Melissa, and Tess for being such fabulous mentors,

Guadalupe Street Coffee for hosting us,

and our funders and supporters who helped make this event possible!

Gracias!

This Saturday: "La Musica de San Anto" Official Mural Blessing

Join San Anto Cultural Arts' Community Mural/Public Art Program as we celebrate the unveiling of our 37th Mural en el mero hueso de San Anto! 

Saturday, November 21

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. ish

1303 W. Commerce (on the side of a Bail Bonds)

Also known as the "Music Legends" mural, La Musica de San Anto (lead muralist: David Blancas) celebrates musicians across many different genres that have emerged from San Antonio. The musicians included in the mural are: Rocky Morales, Randy Garibay, Clifford Scott, Velereo Longoria, Manny Castillo, Lydia Mendoza, Eva Garza, Doug Sahm, and Felix Villarreal. There will be music and tributes from the musicians' families, good food, and of course a blessing by Father Marty Elsner of Guadalupe Church. We will also feature music by Ernie Gariby, Conjunto Kings of Flavio Longoria, and Snowbyrd, with DJ spinning by JJ Lopez. 

Special thanks to the following funders and supporters of this mural: City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs, Kronkosky Charitable Foundation, Ruth Lang Charitable Fund and Dan & Gloria Oppenheimer Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation, United Way Community Building Committee, The George W. Brackenridge Foundation, The John and Florence Newman Foundation, H-E-B, Valero Energy Foundation, Fast Action Bail Bonds, A-Amigo Bail Bonds, Express Bail Bonds, and all the individual donors and volunteers.

As a point of clarification, we are aware that there are other events taking place on Saturday to celebrate the great success of this mural. The event listed above from 11 a.m. to 2 (ish) p.m. is the only official event by San Anto Cultural Arts. We hope to see you there!

Call 226.7466 for mas info!

Exciting new initiative!

+Do you love art?

+Do you love San Anto Cultural Arts?

+Do you love the art auction at our Huevos Rancheros Gala and Silent Art Auction but never seem to have the winning bid?

Have we got a deal for YOU!!

Because San Anto Cultural Arts is annually so blessed by how many artists donate their artwork to us for Huevos, we have a surplus of EXCELLENT arte that we have accrued over the years hanging out with us in our office (and for those of you who have been by, there's barely enough room for us to hang out, much less us and extra arte!!). So, in an effort to find good homes for this homeless art and make a little extra moolah for San Anto, we have established an account on....

That's right, www.ebay.com is now playing host to some of the artwork that has been donated to us over the years. We're still trying to figure it all out, but we're really excited about the potential it could have, but ONLY if YOU get on there and shop! 

So check it out! Right now we've only uploaded 3 pieces: one by Salvador Torres, one by Orlando Rodriguez, and one by Abraham Cantu. If you purchase one of those items (and any others that we list), San Anto Cultural Arts will receive 100% of the proceeds. Items can only be up for auction for 7 days, so you better act soon.

Help us out!

Go to www.ebay.com

Search for these three items, or for our seller ID "sananto" for upcoming arte

Shop around!

What's not to love?

Also, if any of you are avid eBay-ers, you can donate part of your eBay winnings to San Anto! Contact Melinda at 226-7466 or melinda@sananto.org to find out how, or to give her tips on how to make eBay work for San Anto! 

So what are you waiting for? Get shopping!!!

A note from our Executive Director

Dear San Anto Familia,

Happy Noviembre! It's hard to believe it's the middle of the month already! Time has flown by since Huevos because of all the exciting things going on around here...

• First of all, our 12th annual Huevos Rancheros Gala and Silent Art Auction was a huge success! Even though it rained for the first time in Huevos history and we had to move everything from the Plaza Guadalupe to the Guadalupe Theatre with barely an hour to spare, around 600 people came out to celebrate the life and legacy of Manuel "Manny" Castillo. Los #3 Dinners and DJ Roach played, we enjoyed the delicious huevos rancheros from Lisa's Mexican Restaurant, and the art available for auction was some of the best we've seen in years. San Anto profited around $18,000, which is the most we have ever made. Huge gracias to everyone who came out to support San Anto Cultural Arts!
  
• The students of El Placazo opened their first ever Juicebox Fotography Exhibit at Madhatter's on October 28. With the help of master fotographer Mari Hernandez, the students made pinhole cameras out of juiceboxes over the summer. The prints from that day are displayed in the back rooms of Madhatter's and will be up until the end of the month. Special thanks to Mari Hernandez for sharing her time and talents with the students and to Madhatter's for being so generous in hosting the exhibit and giving everyone a delicious tea party at the grand opening. Madhatter's is located at 320 Buearegard in the King William District.
• San Anto Cultural Arts, the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative (Putting an End to Abuse through Community Efforts), Inner City Development, and San Jacinto Senior Home celebrated the 9th annual Dia de Los Muertos Barrio Procession. Read more and see pictures at Dia de Los Muertos Barrio Procession through fotos.

We've been doing a lot in the last month, but there are still more exciting things to come!

• November 16 at Las Oficinas de Avenida Guadalupe Association from 5:30-7:30 p.m.: a Community Meeting to discuss San Anto Cultural Arts' proposed relocation to 2120 El Paso Street. This meeting is a chance to get to know San Anto's Staff, Board of Directors, participants, and programs, as well as learn about our proposed move from Chihuahua Street to El Paso Street. 
• November 18 at Guadalupe Street Coffee from 6-7 p.m.: a Poetry Open Mic Nite with the El Placazo students and three adult mentors from Our Lady of the Lake University. The students will read their own poems and perform a group reading. 
• November 21 at 1303 W. Commerce on the side of the Fast Action Bail Bonds from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.: a celebration and blessing of our 37th mural del Mero Hueso, La Musica de San Anto. Join SACA, lead muralist David Blacas, DJ Jay Jay Lopez, Conjunto Kings de Flavio Longoria, Ernie Garibay, and other special musical guests to honor the talents and legacies of some of the musicians who made music in this city great.

We're doing a lot, but we're having fun! Thank you to all those who have participated in our events of the last month. We hope to see you sporting your San Anto pride at these next three events!

In Community,

Heather Eichling

Executive Director

San Anto Cultural Arts

*** Please note: San Anto Cultural Arts will be closed November 26 and 27 in observance of Thanksgiving.***

Dia de Los Muertos Barrio Procession through fotos

11.03.09

Dia de Los Muertos Barrio Procession:

A time to remember those who have passed on because of domestic violence, highlight that issue in this community, and celebrate the lives of all those who have gone before us.

Presente.

Paying respects to the altar of Sabrina Flores, a 16 year old girl who was murdered this year

Sabrina's mother adding her daughter's name to the Peace and Remembrance Mural

Community members came out to pay their respects to los muertos

Father Marty giving his blessing

Cool shot of the altar in front of the community home

Cristina and Lucy in front of the first stop

Cuco playing a meaningful song, encouraging positivity in life for children

At the San Jacinto Senior Home, getting ready for delicious tamales y street teatro

Los altares at the Senior Home

El muertito in front of an altar

Inner City's altar (foreground) and the altar to Manny (background)

It was a wonderful, emotional, and fun event. Muchas gracias to everyone who came to bring awareness to domestic violence in this community and celebrate life.

And to all the Muertos who are with us every day,

Presente.

TONIGHT: Dia de Los Muertos Barrio Procession

Monday, November 2, 2009

6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

meet at the Peace and Remembrance Mural

(corner of San Patricio y Trinity)

One of San Anto Cultural Arts' favorite traditions is our annual Dia de los Muertos Barrio Procession with the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative, Inner City Development, and San Jacinto Senior Home honoring victims of domestic violence within our community. This year, in addition to honoring those whose lives have been touched by violence, San Anto will also be blessing and dedicating the restoration of the Nicho para la Virgen de Guadalupe located at the San Jacinto Senior Center.

The way the Dia de los Muertos Barrio Procession works is that it goes in stages from the Peace and Remembrance mural to the San Jacinto Senior Home: 

• At 6:30 p.m., we will start gathering at Peace and Remembrance to start doing face painting and setting up the altar. 
  
• The Peace and Remembrance mural is special to the Dia de los Muertos Barrio Procession because it honors those who have fallen victim to violence in our community by listing their names. Each year we add at least one more name to the wall to honor that person who recently passed. This year the family and friends of a 16 year-old girl who was murdered will speak and give testimony about her life. If there are other names that need to be added to the mural, community members may do so during the prayer by Father Marty and the original poem by a community elder.
• The procession will begin around 7:45 p.m., mas o menos, with the lighting of the luminarias and moving the community mobile altars, which will honor Manny and other community leaders.
• The first stop after the procession begins will be at a Westside home, where champurrado/atolewill be served and an original acoustic song will be performed.
• From that home, the procession will continue on to the San Jacinto Senior Home. At San Jacinto Senior Home, participants will enjoy music, food, and streetteatro with big puppets. Participants are welcome to bring their ofrendas for the community altar that will be set up there. We will also have Manny's cream-colored station wagon "Tres Leches" on site for people to write down memories or messages to Manny on paper and post them on the car. Finally, we will bless the restoration of the Nicho para la Virgen de Guadalupe. Everything should be wrapping up around 9:30 p.m., mas o menos. 

As you can tell, a lot is going to be going on! Contact Cristina Ordonez or Ruth Buentello with questions at 226-7466. See you TONIGHT!!