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.
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).
