Sacramento’s La Raza Galería Posada Celebrates September 15 Grand Opening of U.S. Masks Premiere and Mexican Independence Day; Free Open Air Fiesta stars Veracruz’s Los Cojolites and Sacramento’s Rowdy Kate
(Sacramento, CA) La Raza Galería Posada will celebrate the U.S. premiere of Sacred and Shared: The Larry Hoover Collection of Mexican Ritual Masks with a free open air fiesta on Tuesday, September 15, 2009. The outdoor family-oriented, no alcohol fiesta will be in the StateNet parking lot located at 2101 K Street, directly behind La Raza Galeria Posada from 5PM-9PM in conjunction with Mexican Independence Day. Just announced is Los Cojolites, the young Veracruz string band whose son jarocho music was featured in the 2003 movie, “Frida” on the life of artist icon Frida Kahlo. Also on the bill is Sacramento’s Rowdy Kate, led by Mexican-American singer Keri Carr. Carr and her trio will be performing a special traditional music set.
A very honored guest will be Fidel de la Puente Basabe, master mask maker from Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mexico. Maestro de la Basabe will give a mask making demonstration and performance. The danza he will perform is only done one day of the year, on September 16th, in a competition called ‘Masquerade of the Devils’ (Mojiganga de los Diablos) in the village of Teloloapan. There, prizes are given for the most impressive mask and the best performance.
Local food vendors and artisan booths will add to the festivities.
Sacred and Shared: The Larry Hoover Collection of Mexican Ritual Masks will open on Tuesday, September 15 and run through December 31, 2009. The major three month exhibition features over thirty of Hoover’s 150 ritual masks from all across Mexico. Eleven states and ten different ethnic groups from the northernmost state of Sonora to the southernmost state of Chiapas are represented. Public programs held during the exhibition will include workshops and demonstrations by master mask makers from Mexico, documentary films, lectures, and other culturally significant and educational programming.
El Dia de La Independencia (Mexican Independence Day) celebrates the events and people that led to Mexico’s independence from Spain. Fueled by three centuries of oppression and sparked by a call to revolution by the respected Catholic priest Hidalgo, the Mexican Revolution erupted in 1810 in the village of Dolores, in the state of Guanajuato. The revolution pitted the poor indigenous indians and mixed mestizo groups against the privileged classes of Spanish descent, and pushed them into a violent and bloody battle for freedom from Spain.
Sacred and Shared: The Larry Hoover Collection of Mexican Ritual Masks is sponsored by Advancing Sacramento Arts, an initiative of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation made possible by a grant from the James Irvine Foundation. Ruth Blank, CEO, said “The Foundation is committed to bringing a range of cultural arts experiences to the Greater Sacramento area, and this exhibit represents the type of rich arts experience that benefits and enhances our diverse community.”
Our deepest thanks to our friends at Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, who have generously donated to this event!
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