Tlahualiles Masks on Display at the Riverside Art Museum

Tlahualiles: The Glorious Masks of Sahuayo

July 10 – September 26, 2015

Opening Reception: Friday, July 10, 2015, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

For more information, visit www.riversideartmuseum.org

  

Riverside CA – The Riverside Art Museum (RAM) and exhibit sponsors, Altura Credit Union, Division 9 Gallery, and Tio’s Tacos, proudly presents Tlahualiles: The Glorious Masks of Sahuayo, running July 10 – September 26, 2015, with a free, open-to-the-public Opening Reception on Friday, July 10, from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

In July 2013, civic artist Cosme Cordova of Division 9 Gallery and folk artist Martin Sanchez of Tio’s Tacos collaborated with the City of Riverside, the Riverside Arts Council, and the City of Sahuayo de Morelos in Michoacán de Ocampo, Mexico, to bring the first Tlahualiles Festival to downtown Riverside. The Riverside Art Museum is thrilled to announce an upcoming exhibition of the masks, making of, and artists of the much loved Tlahualiles Festival.

“When Martin Sanchez approached us to do this exhibition,” says Drew Oberjuerge, RAM Executive Director, “we thought it was a great opportunity to support the Tlahualiles Festival and to share the story of the art and craft of these masks with the community.”

The Tlahualiles Festival in Sahuayo, Michoacán, is an annual two-week-long cultural and religious celebration with dancing, music, and spectacular handcrafted paper maché and feather masks. Tlahualiles means “defeated warriors” and the festival celebrates the feast of Santiago Apóstol, or Saint James the Apostle, patron saint of Sahuayo. The battle depicted in the festival is still debated today in Mexico and refers to military conflicts before, during, and after the arrival of the Spanish. It is an evolving narrative of the confrontation between Europeans and indigenous populations and pagan and Christian beliefs. The procession of tlahualiles in 2014 included nearly one hundred groups of individuals and families, or over 600 people. Most have participated for generations in creating masks year after year for the past 50 years. After the festival, these dedicated artisans rest for one month before beginning on new masks for the following year.

The tlahualiles masks and traditional garments were brought to Riverside through a close collaboration between Sanchez, Cordova, and Francisco Sanchez, the mayor of Sahuayo, and the City of Riverside, beginning a new tradition in the Inland Empire. This year, the masks will come to the Riverside Art Museum in a retrospective of the making of the tlahualiles masks. The museum will lead the Riverside community through the construction process of the tlahualiles and has invited Sahuayan artisans to demonstrate the making of these exquisite confections of feathers, sequins, and color. This exhibition represents RAM’s ongoing commitment to diversity and community engagement in the arts.

"We have so many wonderful festivals here in Riverside,” says exhibition organizer Carolyn Schutten, “but they are fleeting. RAM wanted to share the beauty and liveliness of the Tlahualiles Festival with local residents while giving them an opportunity to spend time with the masks without the crowds and to learn more about the history and the making of the masks."

Please join us for the Opening Reception on Friday, July 10, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. This year’s Tlahualiles Festival in Riverside takes place the next day, Saturday, July 11, at White Park from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. There will be a free Mask workshop on Thursday, August 6, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. and a Tlahualiles Dance Performance on Thursday, September 3, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. We also have a youth weeklong class July 13 – 17, 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. where registered students will create masks from around the world using different mediums like wire, clay, and paint, all in response to this exhibit.

The Riverside Art Museum integrates art into the lives of people in a way that engages, inspires, and builds community by providing high quality exhibits and art education programs that instill a lifelong love of the arts. RAM relies on the generosity of members and donors to support its exhibitions, education programs, and special events. A 60-plus-year-old, private, non-profit cultural arts institution housed in a National Historic 1929 building designed by Hearst Castle and AIA Gold Medal-winning architect Julia Morgan, the museum welcomes over 50,000 visitors a year. The museum is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, 12:00 noon – 4:00 p.m. For information on exhibits, events, classes, memberships, or sponsorship opportunities, visit www.RiversideArtMuseum.org. Find us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/riversideartmuseum), Twitter (RAMRiverside), Instagram (@riversideartmuseum), and Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/ramarts).