The Mexican Museum and Guadalupe Rivera y Marín Bring Art to the Classroom with Oakland Public School and UC Berkeley

As part of its educational programming to bring art to local schools, The Mexican Museum has partnered with Esperanza Academy in Oakland to support its Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) program for students in grades K-5. The program allows students to explore world art with an emphasis on Mexican and Latino art.

Guadalupe Rivera y Marín, Ph.D. will be giving a talk to Esperanza Academy students. The daughter of famed Mexican artist Diego Rivera, Guadalupe is a long-time supporter of the Mexican Museum and serves as Honorary Trustee and Co-Chairs the Arts & Letters Council. She is also a lawyer, former legislator and ambassador to the United Nations, and Diego Rivera Foundation Chair and Director. Rivera y Marín will be in town the week of November 2 to discuss educational programming utilizing the Museum's artifacts as a resource. The Mexican Museum provides resources for curriculum development related to Latino arts as well as access to its permanent art collection database.

Ms. Rivera y Marín's talk will be today, Nov. 2 at 10 a.m., in the auditorium at Esperanza Elementary a K-5, a dual language public school, located at 10315 E Street in Oakland (X street103), part of the Oakland Unified School District.

"The presentation will be especially meaningful as the students just finished studying Diego Rivera's art," said Sandra Brod, Esperanza Academy facilitator for the Visual Thinking Strategies program. "Students are engaged in observing and practicing art at least twice per month in each classroom. Rivera y Marín will do a reading from her book Mi papá Diego y yo (My dad Diego and I) which details the culture of México, her dad's art and traditions that she remembers as a young girl in Mexico."

VTS uses art as a discussion topic to enable students to use existing visual and cognitive skills to develop confidence and experience. Educators use the power of visual arts to guide students in inspiring conversations. Every student's perspective is valued and builds deeper engagement and thinking by allowing all students to actively participate.

In addition to Esperanza Academy, Ms. Rivera y Marin will also be speaking at UC Berkeley's, Center for Latin American Studies, on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m., in the Great Hall, Bancroft Hotel, 2680 Bancroft Way. Her talk will focus on her father's impact on the culture, politics, and society of post-revolutionary Mexico. Recalling the Mexico of her father, she will examine his interaction with the world around him. The talk is open to the public.

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