The
Chicano Humanities and Arts Council will soon mark three decades of
providing art events, education, festivals and increasing awareness of
Chicano/Latino culture in Colorado.
The anniversary celebration, set for April, will include the
show La Familia at the CHAC galleries, 772 Santa Fe Drive, celebrating
the artists and diversity of work that have endured since the council's
founding in 1978. It has since broadened to one of the premier art
communities in the city.
IMAGE (R): From left, some of the CHAC founders, Jerry Jaramillo, Carlos
Santistevan, Stevon Lucero and Al Sanchez pose with I Am CHAC, Sanchez’
work depicting CHAC members over the years.
The CHAC art show by members will be joined with a second exhibition titled the Imagination Celebration, with artists
Michael Canada,
Mardelle Espinoza,
Dan Muniz,
Robert Maestas,
Thompson Williams,
Joe Martinez,
Eliza Armijo,
Catherine Salazar and others.
Artist
Yoko Ono has contributed a limited edition iPod Touch
inscribed with the phrase "Imagine Peace" and signed "Love, Yoko,"
along with a signed postcard picturing her and John Lennon's 1969
Montreal 'Bed-in' and a letter of authenticity from the Lennon-Ono
estate Studio One in New York City. The donation will be auctioned
during the event to help CHAC's family-oriented workshops.
The La Familia show will run April 2 to 26, with an opening
reception April 4 as part of the First Friday Art Walk in the
ArtDistrict on Santa Fe. 
A painting by one of the CHAC founding members,
Al Sanchez, titled I Am CHAC, was chosen to represent
the 30th anniversary milestone. It depicts CHAC members and friends
over the years in a style reminiscent of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper album cover.
CHAC artist Canada helped organize the anniversary event and is
excited about the milestone and Ono's donation to help the art
community.
"We're trying to add more workshops and really make more
friends within the community - this is a great start to adding to who
we are," Canada said.
"Like many artists, I was looking for a venue to display my
work," Canada remembered. "I came in here about June of last year and I
was greeted with open arms. I knew as soon as I saw the artwork and
started meeting the other artists and Crystal (
O'Brien), I knew that I fit in here."
IMAGE (L): Artist Michael Canada displays the collector edition iPod received from
Yoko Ono. after he solicited a donation for CHAC. It will be auctioned
during the event for CHAC children's programs.
"Since that time, I've volunteered my time, really started
learning about CHAC, what they represent, what they do in the community
to where I've been able to kind of focus to what CHAC means to other
individuals in the area - other than just selling work, it's really the
bigger picture of helping other people.'
Shortly after joining, Canada became a board member and
worked on planning art shows and talking with CHAC sponsors to spread
the message.
"For the 30 years we've been here we've had many established
artists come through the door and really promote CHAC the gallery and
it helped them with their career to where they gave back to us as
well," Canada said. " Tony Ortega and
Stevon Lucero, both well-known across the country,
they really give back to the meaning of CHAC in helping bring along up
and coming artists and the younger generation and really show them that
you don't really have to be dead to have your art make money."
"With a lot of the cutbacks in public education we give the
kids an outreach on getting some of the art discipline they may need
that unfortunately the school may not be able to provide, even though
they want to."
Canada says he had other jobs but was not satisfied, and knew had to be an artist
"The success from that is not always be financial but it's
satisfying personally to where I know this is work I want to do ... I
looked at other work and galleries, but once here, it felt like I had
won the Super Bowl, and once I came here things really started to
happen for me in a positive way, and I'm really trying to contribute
back to the gallery."
CHAC began with its smaller south gallery first, adding the
north side about year and a half ago. There are two shows each month,
with the south gallery usually featuring the combined work of gallery
members, the north side usually with a theme show.
"I'm just very excited about the April show and it's going to
help out CHAC and get us into the next frontier and take those first
steps in being able to show the public who we are and what we're
about," Canada said.
CHAC executive director O'Brien says she too began as a
volunteer 11 years ago, was asked to join the board and eventually
assumed the role of director. She compliments Canada's work's work.
"Michael's been a great help," O'Brien said. "His enthusiasm
is ... overwhelming at times. We've really needed that because we're
still a small organization even though we've been around 30 years, we
have minimal staffing and it's just nice that Michael has the time and
dedication to do this for us for us because we need it."
CHAC also is proud of how it promotes the arts through
various children's outreach programs, working with schools and
organizations on visual arts as well as theater, dance and music
programs.
The gallery also hosts Cookies y Leche (Cookies and Milk) art
workshops the third Saturday each month, to introduce children to art
projects such as Christmas ornaments, sugar skulls used in Dia de los
Muertos celebrations and holiday and cultural activities.
Sanchez told
YourHub.com helping build CHAC in the early days, "was one of the most significant things we've done."
That sentiment was echoed by Lucero, who said it was never just about the artists, "but giving something to the community."
Some of the CHAC founders say they'll tell the history of the group in future YourHub.com postings.
As for the future, Canada and the staff think big.
"First, preserve the past, which we've been doing - then take what
we've learned from our past and bring it into the future so that anyone
who wants to learn about our culture, Chicano art - or any kind of art,
will really have a place to come share their thoughts, express their
art and really help out anyone that's interested in learning and
turning them into successful artists," Canada said., who says his
personal goal is to make CHAC a force in Denver's art world - and the
entire art world.
Over 30 years, as with many galleries,
financing is always a concern, and the staff tries to build on
strategies that have worked as well as building relationships with
sponsors, members and new artists.
Several different types of memberships are available, and O'Brien
said volunteers are always welcome. For more information, visit www.chacweb.org or call 303-571-0440.
Editor's note: YourHub.com asked CHAC executive director
Crystal O'Brien to provide us a column on the 30th anniversary to
accompany this article. Here is her column:
CHAC artists set standards high
We are writing to you to tell you about a very special event!
CHAC, which was formed in 1978 by a group of visual and performing artists will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year!
CHAC was established as a place where Chicano/Latino artists
were provided with a venue to explore visual and performance art and
promote and preserve the Chicano/Latino culture through the expression
of the arts. Over the years, CHAC has evolved into a very exciting,
inclusive and dynamic arts organization, combining several areas that
include festivals, artistic events, gallery space, poetry, art, music,
storytelling, educational outreach and presentations on the subject on
the Chicano/Latino culture.
We are proud of our many accomplishments over the years. The
following list is merely a glimpse of CHAC's many accomplishments: In
1995, Denver's Westword designated the Chile Harvest Festival "Best
Arts Festival" in Denver; CHAC was selected to administer the Cultural
Perspectives arts Project at Denver International Airport in 1994; CHAC
was the Recipient of the Governor's award for Excellence in the Arts in
2002; In May of 2004, CHAC and CHAC's Executive Director were presented
with the "Embrace the World Award" by Global Visions Art Alliance; and
the Rocky Mountain News recognized CHAC in July 2004 as one of Denver's
25 "Forces of Culture." Recently, CHAC was a KMGH A-List nominee.
We are celebrating this incredibly exciting event with an unbelievably special show in April 2008! The show will be called
La Familia. We are celebrating the CHAC family of artists and
the diversity and breath of work that is part this incredible group of
artists that we all call our CHAC family.
We have chosen an extraordinary piece of art painted by one of CHAC's Founding members,
Al Sanchez, to represent our 30th anniversary celebration! The piece is titled
I Am CHAC.
It depicts several CHAC members and friends over the years and
is reminiscent of a popular Beatles album cover. It is a very dynamic
piece and will be on display during the April show. A limited edition
of signed prints will be available for purchaseduring the event.
Please see the enclosed call for entry form in this packet for all the details.
We are happy and proud to have you as part of our CHAC Family and look forward to celebrating our 30th anniversary with you!
Crystal O'Brien
CHAC executive director