Art Along El Camino Real

Start date: Saturday, September 27, 2008
Event is ongoing: Until Saturday, December 13, 2008

celebrating Mexico Independence Day (which is September 16th) with this exhibit.

As we look into the rich cultural history of the Hispanic heritage, its roots take us back centuries to Spain. It follows a path from Spain to Mexico onto El Camino Real (the Royal Highway) which led to North America through El Paso and on to New Spain which became New Mexico. Sixteeth century Spanish colonists originally brought santos (figures of saints) with them for devotional purposes. As a result, their art forms and traditions traveled with them on their journey along El Camino Real to the north. This exhibit will include paintings and 3-dimensional sculptures that are hand carved from wood. It reflects the work of some of today's most talented contemporary artists as their art interprets the early forms that traveled this infamous historical highway. Internationally known Nicholas Herrera, whose work was recently added to the permanent collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, along with other reknown artists such as Victor Goler, David Nabor Lucero, Miguel Martinez and Marie Romero Cash, will be among those being exhibited.