KVPAC’s Visual Arts Director Creates Dona Ana Maria Ramos

At the beginning of June, an open call went out for a juried outdoor public exhibit entitled LAS COMADRES RECYCLED, in which Houston artists were asked to create eight life-size statues inspired by fictional Doñas (matriarchs) to commemorate sustainable ideas and practices which benefit and nourish our Pachamama (Mother Earth). Katy Visual & Performing Arts Center's own Visual Arts Director, Erin Fry, was one of the eight local artists selected to create a statue. She named her Doña Ana Maria Ramos.

"Doña Ana Maria Ramos began a grass roots educational program teaching school children in public schools sustainable urban farming techniques," says Fry, who became Visual Arts Director of KVPAC in June. "She equipped each school with an urban garden large enough to produce 75% of the schools lunch programs demands. Each garden was planted, tended to and harvested by the students of that school with any unused produce sold at local farmer's markets and the proceeds re-invested into the sustainable living program at that school. Ana Maria also developed a grant program for the students to take the knowledge gained in her program back into their communities by reclaiming empty lots and abandoned housing projects and establishing community gardens in 80% of all Houston neighborhoods, providing all children an opportunity to eat fresh and healthy foods."

In Latino culture, Doñas (matriarchs) are revered for shouldering family traditions, enforcing rules and efficiently running the household. These influential women, endearingly called COMADRES, are integral pillars in the community. This extraordinary exhibit to celebrate them is a project of Planeta Verde Now (PVN), Teatro Bilingüe de Houston's (Bilingual Theater of Houston) groundbreaking green initiative, which continues to foster environmental values and sustainable practices through artistic expression and creativity. Alliances with Discovery Green, and the Miller Outdoor Theatre help strengthen their commitment to bring environmental awareness and fuel hope in our community.

"My Comadre is made out of the waste products that could be found drifting in the abandoned areas and empty lots, which would become the Doña's future gardens and urban farmlands, such as plastic bags, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, glass pieces (with the sharp edges removed), scrap piping and wood, and other miscellaneous scraps," Erin Fry explains. "The base of my Doña's outfit is fashioned out of fused plastic bags and food wrappers that were cut and sewn and then embellished with the found recyclable materials. Her body and face is formed with bits of scrap wood and plastic, her hair with orange juice jugs, and her accessories with glass and other materials as available."

By creating a memorable and iconic Comadre, artists make a dynamic statement relating to Mother Earth. Each Doña has an accompanying plaque with her name and accomplishment(s). The event acts as a precedent as sculptures were constructed exclusively of recyclable materials and then became a part of a collective outdoor exhibit at both Discovery Green and Guadalupe Park Plaza, two highly visible locations in Houston seen by thousands of park-goers.

TBH is a non-profit organization, founded in 1977, that has evolved into a Latino Cultural Arts Center that offers a year-round series of performing arts and exhibits, alongside educational programming such as ongoing multidisciplinary workshops, a summer arts camp for children, and school touring productions. For more information on TBH, please visit http://www.tbhcenter.org/intro.php.

For more information on Erin Fry and the Visual Arts Programs at KVPAC, please visit www.kvpac.org.

 

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