National Museum of Mexican Art- Jessica Oliva Navarro, Week 3

Hello everyone!

    Time flies so fast! During my third week at the National Museum of Mexican Art, I spent most of my time with the campers. The activities from this week were crafted by Kaelyn Andrade, a Museum Educator. Students looked towards Frida Kahlo's archive of photographs for inspiration. They were tasked with building refrigerator archives with paper mâché. At first, when I thought of the word “archive” I thought about it solely in terms of a collection displayed in a museum. However, archives (collections of historical documents/records) are all around us. For instance, refrigerator doors are often the guardians of receipts, images, and memories. I found it interesting how the students added unique touches by creating different-sized compartments within their fridges. After discussing the relationship between food, culture, and identity, campers created magnets that represented their favorite foods. Also, through the combination of photography and self-portrait, campers had the opportunity to come up with happy, funny, and adventurous poses. 

Students building their archives

 

Later in the week, I had the chance to visit Yollocalli. Vanessa Sanchez, the director of education and Yollocali was able to give me a tour. Throughout the day, I was able to expand my knowledge of their community outreach efforts. Yollocalli has a radio production program called Wattz Up. The recording studio was super cool! Wattz Up works with lumpen radio and crafts live broadcasted episodes. Each week the program focuses on a different topic. On July 23, youth talked about the overturning of Roe V. Wade. Wattz Up episodes can be found here: https://www.mixcloud.com/lumpenradio/playlists/wattz-up/. Having youth express their social concerns and voices is so incredibly important! 

    I was also able to speak with members of the Youth Council about their annual outreach project: Chill Set. This is a free event that provides youth with mental and sexual health resources! It also allows young adults to explore exhibits after hours. The community that is being cultivated by Yollocalli’s Youth Council in the Chicago area is so inspiring because it is actively combating health inequity. I am super excited to volunteer at this event!

Chill Set Decorations

    This week I was able to explore NMMA departments through interviews. I had the opportunity to interview Marina Álvarez, NMMA’s Visual Arts Curatorial Assistant. We discussed the interactions between Museums in Chicago. For instance, the National Museum of Mexican Art and the Art Institute of Chicago often collaborate through the borrowing of artworks and the planning of events. Something that surprised me was that NMMA’s rotational exhibitions are planned 2 or more years in advance. Furthermore, Álvarez touched upon the power of art to combat false narratives. I also interviewed Imelda Rodriguez, NMMA’s business coordinator. Rodriguez highlighted, “If life puts a door in your pathway, you have to decide to either stay behind or break that door down.” She further explained that one's “dream” position is not always easily attainable. Rather, some steps have to be taken. But at the end of the day, anything is possible if one has passion and clear goals. 

    I would also like to share that I have decided to focus my NMMA en Casa Video on printmaking. From my research, I have uncovered that in México, prints often represented political messages. Printmaking was a common and effective technique because it combined captivating images with visual language. Many were able to understand important social concerns because the prints themselves were widely accessible. José Guadalupe Posada is a well-known printmaker from the early 1900s who has inspired many other printmakers over the years such as Carlos Cortez. Some of Carlos Cortez’s works are displayed at the National Museum of Mexican Art. Cortez was active in the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), one of the first labor associations to organize Mexican workers in the southwestern United States. His passions for unionization, labor rights, and social justice are very much present in his prints. Printmaking continues to play a crucial role in social movements today. They inspire activism in a world that has much to change. So, I hope that my video inspires youth to make their own prints that heighten their voices. 

¡Viva la Huelga! by Carlos Cortez

    The week ended off with Christian and I hosting the story time event at the Chicago Public Library in Archer Heights! I had a blast interacting with youth and sharing the biographies of Sandra Cisneros and Jaime Escalante. 

Story Time Event 

    Lastly, the artwork that I would like to highlight this week is The Garden of Earthly Delights by Rubén Ortiz Torres. One sees a lawn mower that is surrounded by a white picket fence and vibrant green grass. However, does the lawn mower even work? One could perhaps draw connections between this artifact and the American Dream. Nevertheless, I will leave it up for interpretation.

The Garden of Earthly Delights by Rubén Ortiz Torres

Until next time, Jessica Oliva Navarro