CHAC

The Chicano Humanities and Art Council, 772 Santa Fe Drive, host a Cinco de Mayo and 30 year anniversary celebration with an extravaganza of art, story, food and music. To honor the success of Denver's oldest continually operating artist co-op dedicated to promoting the art and culture of Chicano/Latino art, a month long showcase titled, " Return of the Corn Mothers: A 30 year celebration of CHAC" will begin festivities with a free Cinco de Mayo/ First Friday concert by nationally renown L.A. based musician Martin Espino from the band Mexika, a blessing ceremony by Aztec Kapuli Huehueteotl and a meet and greet with the shows featured artist , free food, and spectacular art show on May 2nd from 6-9 p.m. at the CHAC gallery.

The theme of the show is based on the Pueblo mythology of the Corn Mothers who were said to have sung in the essence of all creation including the sacred Katchinas of the South West. The shows content is said to be one of the most unique exhibitions to come to Denver. The focal point of the showcase is a photo journalist exhibition of women from Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas who have earned accolades for their community activism and creative endeavors. This photo display was the recipient of the prestigious 2007/08 Rocky Mountain Women's Institute fellowship award and will begin a year long tour with the premier at CHAC. Todd Pierson the shows photographer is considered one of Colorado's most skilled portrait artist and has spared no expense in putting together a stunning show, said shows curator Renee Fajardo.

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Pachuco; A Historical Update
An Art Exhibit Recalling the 65th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots

Show Dates June 4-28, 2008

• Opening Reception Friday, June 6, 2008 from 6-10 PM.
• Drop off is Sunday, June 1, 2008 from 12-4 PM. @ CHAC Norte.
• Open Show, All are Welcome.
• All Mediums Welcomed and Encouraged. We will make every effort to hang as much work as we can.
• The Theme of the Show Reflected in Art Work.
• We prefer the work be for sale, or please have prints available for sale.  Our Standard 25% commission will be applied to all sales.
• $10 dollar non-refundable entry fee; profit money will go to support educational programs at CHAC.
• This will be a juried show. CHAC reserves the right to refuse any artwork for any reason.
• By having work in the show you agree to help gallery, sit at least one shift during the duration of the show.  You sign up when you drop off your work.  The need being Fri 5-10pm and Sat 12-4pm.
• Co- Curated by Carlos Fresquez and Christine Blackburn.
• Any questions call Carlos at (720)313-5941, Christine at (720)365-7929, or Crystal at (303)571-0440.

Joe pulled away from the competition with his amazing photograph taken of “El Santuario De Chimayo”. El Santuario is located in Chimayo, New Mexico. It is known as a place to pray, meditate, and to experience peace of mind and body. Joe is a native of Colorado and resides in North Denver. He is a self taught photographer that takes it “One day at a Time”.  His photography is based mainly of the Colorado and New Mexico landscapes. Joe feels taking photos is his therapy. “It’s a feeling of serenity and calming of my mind, it’s just me and my camera”.  Every photo I take is of a moment in time, and that moment will never happen again. Joes biggest inspiration are his mother (Bert) and his brother (Mark) even though the have past on to the heavens too be with God.

• This week CHAC Members Juanita Mascarenas, Al Martinez and Joe N. Martinez volunteered with landscaping and leveling big rocks in back court yard making it much prettier and safer for all.
• CHAC Member Belinda Maestas had her plumber install an outside water faucet so it will be easier to water our summer plants and keep the backyard clean and neat. She paid for all the parts and labor!
• CHAC Member Jeanette Montoya donated 100% the sales of her artwork in the month of March to CHAC!
• CHAC Member Flordian Maldonado is donating 100% of his proceeds of his photographs in "La Tienda" to benefit our children's art programming!

Denver Post, March 20th
Daniel Smith

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.

he 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. 

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.

Read the entire article here.

1907 – 2007 :  CENTENARIO : A Centenary Celebration
 
November 2 – November 24, 2007.  Opening Reception November 2, 6:00pm – 9:00pm.
 
Denver artists Hunter Lawrence, Clara Martinez, Sylvia Montero, Tony Ortega, and Eugene Stewart-Huidobro will hold a group exhibition of work reflecting on time, space, and the world of one hundred years ago.

Artistas Libre! A sampling of Denver’s vibrant cultural art scene

A lively palette and passionate self-expression are characteristics of Artistas Libre; a show on display through July at the Chicano Humanities & Arts Council (CHAC) on 772 Santa Fe Drive. The event showcases the talent of six emerging and established Denver Latino/a artists. The work, which includes paintings, drawings, sculpture and jewelry, serves as a superb reminder of the vibrant cultural art scene our city has to offer.

Los artistas are Board Members Tony Vecchio, Danny Vigil and Jeanette Montoya; CHAC's Education Director, Veronica Herrera; new board member, Javier Flores and upcoming CHAC members Ortavio Griego and David Garcia.

Artistas Libre will run July 1st through the 28th at CHAC Gallery, 772 Santa Fe Drive. A First Friday reception with the artists will be held on Friday, July 6th from 6-10 p.m.

Learn more about the artists...

CHAC Gallery presents VIDA, Art full of LIFE!
Denver, March 7, 2007 – The Chicano Humanities & Arts Council (CHAC) is showcasing 9 member artists in a spring show entitled VIDA. This group show centers around the rich theme of living – religion, exploration, happiness, beauty, pain and even thoughts of the afterlife in oils, acrylic, watercolor, fabric and stone. 

Auction to provide creative blessings from Colorado artists
Denver, March 7, 2007 – A primary component of Mexican home altars, santos (saints) art was often created by self-taught artists (a santero/a) for the purpose of private devotion; creating a personal bond between worshippers and the divine to provide holy protection from life's misfortunes. This unique art form is a deeply rooted expression of Hispanic religious traditions. A santo is the depiction of a Catholic saint, traditionally painted on tin or wood that may be flat or carved into a sculpture. The santos were made in two-dimensional form known as retablos (or a reredos which is a larger altar screen) and three-dimensional sculptural piece known as bultos.

The Chicano Humanities & Arts Council (CHAC) will be celebrating this popular art form with an auction of contemporary and traditional Santos art created by CHAC's member artists titled "Bendiciones: Santos, Cruces y la Gloria del Presente" (Blessings: Saints, Crosses and the Glory of the Present). In addition to purportedly providing peace and protection to their new owners,  the sale of these hand-made santos will benefit CHAC's programming and art outreach programs. The silent auction will run for the entire month of August and the highest bidders will be announced on April 28.

Show opens March 2, 2007 and runs through March 31, 2007

For the last eighteen years, Joe Triscari has been photographing sacred images for a work in progress titled Journeys of the Spirits.  For Triscari, the project became a spiritual adventure through Colorado, Wyoming and Utah to create a visual chronicle of sacred sites. The series has been exhibited in its entirety in the Smithsonian Institution's Arts and Industries Building, Denver International Airport, the Museum of Outdoor Arts, and the Aurora History Museum.  

Dedicated to preserving rock art thru education, Joe Triscari has worked closely with Native Americans to help make the public aware of the significance of the images and the teaching they employ.  In a statement about the series, Triscari writes "Part of the wisdom and worship of the native American people has been their recognition of 'places of power' or more popularly called sacred sites. This exhibit brings the ancient native American sacred petroglyph and ceremony sites together."

CHAC (Chicano Humanities and Art Council) will be showing selected works from the series "Journeys of the Spirits" which opens on Friday, March 2nd and runs through March 30th. Joe Triscari's work will be featured in CHAC Norte's gallery along with Michael Lee Garcia, Stevon Lucero and Dr. George Rivera. CHAC's galleries are located at 772 Santa Fe Drive at the heart of Denver's premier art district.

About CHAC
The Chicano Humanities & Arts Council (CHAC) was established in 1978 by Chicano/Latino artists as a venue to explore the arts and to promote and preserve the Chicano/Latino culture through the expression of the arts. The gallery presents art exhibits and performances by area musicians, actors, dancers, writers and poets. CHAC's popular community outreach programs work with teachers in Denver public schools to provide cultural art projects.