Bihl Haus Arts Update

Dr. Kellen Kee McIntyre sends the following message:

Dear Friends of Bihl Haus Arts:

Bihl Haus Arts is pleased to present the exhibition “Return of Quetzalcoatl,” which opens with a reception on Friday, June 8, 5:30-8:30 pm, and continues through July 14. Artists Xavier Garza and Luis Valderas reinterpret the iconic Pre-Columbian deity in a modern-day setting by retelling the story of Quetzalcoatl-the man and the myth. His return is one of many in the Chicano ancestral time continuum. The morning and evening star, cosmic creative forces in the universe, come back to set in motion un Nuevo Sol, a new son. Garza’s Quetzalcoatl, one of 10 individual pieces by him in the show, is grounded in his familiar Super Luchas masked wrestler figures Dressed in a tight, white spacesuit, Quetzalcoatl hurls through a deep blue sky astride a bomb-shaped feathered serpent, knees clenched, arm raised like a bronc-bustin’ Slim Pickins atop Dr. Strangelove’s ‘love.’ Valderas offers a nine-piece painting, Nanahuatzin’s Prayer, that spills across the walls of the gallery in no apparent order. Nanahuatzin, the sickly one, threw himself into the fire when no other god would, a sacrifice that ensured the beginning of the fifth sun, the new age. Valderas’s god crouches inside a watermelon slice. The rays of the sun behind him allude to the bountiful fields of the Rio Grande Valley, where the artist grew up, a reference to the laborers who sacrificed themselves in the fields to ensure future generations. The artists will share stories of culture, politics, and history as seen in their work in a gallery talk at 2 pm on Saturday, June 23.

Both Garza and Valderas were born in the Rio Grande Valley where they were roommates for a while and where they participated in area art exhibitions and poetry readings. It was at one of these readings that they met poet Trinidad Sanchez, Jr. “Trino” mentored both young artists and encouraged them to come to San Antonio, where they now reside. So, it is fitting that in conjunction with “Return of Quetzalcoatl,” Bihl Haus Arts presents the “Trinidad Sanchez, Jr. Memorial Birthday Poetry Bash!” on Friday, June 15^th. The event, which we hope will become an annual celebration of the expansive poetic legacy of Trinidad Sanchez, Jr., was organized by his wife, Regina Chavez y Sanchez, and long-time family friend, poet, and teacher Andrea Greimel. Greimel will M.C. the evening, which opens at 6 pm with a blessing by native drummers led by Isaac Cardenas. Contributing poets include Jesse Cardenas, P.C. McKinnon, Frank "Pancho" Medina, Antoinette Franklin, and many more. Poems about fathers will be featured in honor of Father’s Day (June 17^th) and Trino’s commitment to fathers and their children. (Details to follow in a future email.)

As always, a poster invitation is attached. Plese feel free to print and display it, and to forward this invitation to your friends.

Hope to see you at these terrific upcoming events!

Kellen

Dr. Kellen Kee McIntyre
Executive Director
Bihl Haus Arts
2803 Fredericksburg Rd.
San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 732-3502
kellenkee@swbell.net