Latinos Organizing for Understanding and Development (LOUD) will celebrate the vibrant diversity of Latino arts and culture in Wisconsin at the 11th Annual Latino Art Fair at the Common Wealth Gallery on Madison’s East Side on Friday, May 2, 6-9 p.m.
LOUD’s mission is to celebrate and promote Latino arts and culture through dynamic events, educational programs, and community engagement. Oscar Mireles, founder of LOUD, says the upcoming Latino Art Fair is “an opportunity to bring the next generation of Latino artists to the forefront of our artistic community.”
“The focus of this show will be on emerging artists. We have a couple of artists who are kind of finishing up college or finishing up their MFAs (Master of Fine Arts). And then we have some people coming in from out of town … from Milwaukee, from Oregon [Wis.],” Mireles says. “It’s a just a chance to focus on younger emerging artists, so that other people can kind of see their work. And I think sometimes it’s just helpful to get out there and do something bigger.
“We’ve been able to have a nice audience for Latino Art Fair, and we’ve done a couple things at the at the Common Wealth [Gallery], so we’ll be able to kind of give them an audience, which is very important when you’re starting out. You just need people to see your work.”
Artists at the 11th annual Latino Art Fair will include Ava Abelo, Paola Mayorga, Patricio Crooker, Thomas C. Romero, Ashley Guzman, Seso Marentes, Lapiztola, Ben Orozco, Gabriel Burns, Erika Garcia Rosales, Leo Salazar, and Brianna Stehling Santacruz.
The Latino Art Fair is an integral part of the Wisconsin Conference on Latino Arts and Culture, which will be held May 2-3 at Centro Hispano with the goal of promoting a deeper understanding and appreciation of Latino contributions to the arts.
“I think probably the big thing is that the visual artists really wanted to have a great venue like this to profile their work in the best kind of manner at the Latino Art Fair,” Mireles says. “We’ve watched our artists really grow and sometimes a little more exposure can be a stepping stone for what’s next.
“I think having their work displayed at the Latino Art Fair provides some of the artists with a kind of confidence to keep them advancing in their careers. You need that supportive environment,” he adds.
The first-ever Latino Art Fair was held at the old Centro Hispano building on Badger Road. It was hosted by the Latino Chamber of Commerce. Mireles read poetry at the event.
For years, it was held at the Madison Central Library, where Mireles also read poetry from a new book he had written, before moving to the Overture Center in downtown Madison.
“I’ve been able to kind of be both an artist and now the organizer,” Mireles says. “So it’s an interesting vantage point.”
Mireles says that the 11th annual Latino Art Fair will be an opportunity to support local artists and immerse yourself in the rich heritage of Latino art.
“There’s really not a lot of venues for Latino artists to display their work in Madison. There are a lot of major places that feature established artists …. which is good and that’s their kind of role and place,” Mireles says. “But we’re more positioned to really give people those first opportunities. It’s getting people to the point where now other galleries will notice them.”
Common Wealth Gallery is located at 100 South Baldwin St. on Madison’s East Side. For more information about the 11th annual Latino Art Fair, call Mireles at (608) 695-2474. For tickets to the Wisconsin Conference on Latino Arts and Culture at Centro Hispano of Dane County, click here.
