Description
This collection consists of clippings, press releases, committee records, financial papers and materials related to the Artes
de Mexico Festival. Researchers who would like to indicate errors of fact or omissions in this finding aid can contact the
research center at www.chicano.ucla.edu
Background
In 1991, Los Angeles was the site of a four-month festival celebrating the rich heritage and influence of Mexican art, dance,
music, film, and poetry in the L.A. area. The festival ran from September 1, 1991 to December 29, 1991, and was held in conjunction
with "Mexico: A Work of Art," a festival sponsored by the Mexican government, and "Mexico: Splendors of Thirty Centuries,"
a new exhibit at the L.A. County Museum of Art. The over 200 events and performances associated with the festival were intended
to showcase the rich history of Mexican heritage in Los Angeles and assert its continuing influence. Festival events were
hosted at venues throughout Los Angeles including Occidental College, the University of Southern California, as well as numerous
art galleries and music venues such as Plaza de La Raza, the Los Angeles Music Center, and the Hollywood Bowl. The festival
featured appearances by Edward James Olmos, Paul Rodriguez, Cheech Marin, Ricardo Montalban, Luis Valdez, Apollonia, Roseanna
DeSoto, Bobby Ross, Avila and Carmen Zapata, the Francisco Martinez Dance Company, Grupo Folklorico de UCLA, Marcos Loya Band,
Conjunto Hueyapan, Ballet Folklorico Ollin, in addition to artists Jose Clemente Orozco and Luis Castellanos, among many others.
The Artes de Mexico collection at the Chicano Studies Research Center documents the events of the festival through various
promotional materials (flyers, programs, invitations, and press releases), artist publications, letters, and event materials.
Samuel Marks, a member of the festival's executive committee, and Jesus Perez, the executive director of the Artes de Mexico
Festival Committee, feature prominently in the collection.