"September 15 through October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month. Today,
according to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 26 million people in the
United States are of Hispanic origin. That's about ten percent of us!" (Education World)

LATIN AMERICAN- HISPANIC ART  HISPANIC ART EDUCATION

GENERAL STUDIES - INTERDISCIPLINARY - ART - FOLK ART

Celebrate Hispanic Culture Month Many Hispanic Americans trace their roots to the cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Others trace their roots to the Spanish explorers. This site does list Spanish artists--and does NOT mention the more noted Mexican artists.  See which artists my students recommend.  Work sheet

Resources for Teaching about the Americas -- Here you can access over 65 lesson plans dealing with Latin America, the Caribbean and culture studies. Lesson Plans -- Excellent lessons on Border Art  and Sculpture by Jude Grochowski. Amate painting lesson good for younger students (grades 3 thru 8).

Corridos sin Fronteras, Songs Without Borders Smithsonian traveling exhibition and educational web site celebrating the narrative songs known as corridos. Educational timeline - listen to ballads from 15th century and post revolutionary days - tales of daily life in Mexico.

Discovering Mexico National Geographic. "To capture the essence of today’s enigmatic Mexico, the magazine sent four photographers and a team of writers across the border."

Hispanic History in the Americas - from Scholastic. Trace Spanish influences in the Americas with interactive map. Timeline of events from "discovery" to 1990's. Needs Flash plug-in.

Mexico: From Empire to Revolution Getty Educational Resources. View with flash - or use traditional HTML format.

Mexico for Kids History, games -- so much more!  Fun ways to learn about Mexcio.

"Day of the Dead" (DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS) Find out about this Mexican celebration. Must have Resource - Video: "Flickering Lights: Days of the Dead" (from Crizmac Art and Cultural Education Materials). See all of the wonderful resources from Crizmac (4 pages!).

History of Day of the Dead -- from Mexico Connect. Good photographs of traditional altars and crafts as well as what is put on the altar and why. 

"Day of the Dead"  - photographs, multimedia presentations. You can even send your own skeleton postcards. Why do you suppose "Day of the Dead" is important in Arizona? Learn more about Arizona cultures.

Pre-Columbian Cultures   Internet lessons on Maya and Inca. 

Electronic Biologica Centrali-Americana - original 58 volumes of this remarkable work of natural history were created and composed during the 19th century in an effort to identify, categorize, and document the flora and fauna of Meso-America. Great from Science integration - for Oaxacan animals lesson.

FINE ART                                                                                          [TO TOP]

Mexico: Splendors of Thirty Centuries Interactive site from Humanities Interactive. Gallery, Timeline, activities, teacher resources and more.

The Grandeur of Viceregal Mexico: Franz Mayer Collection -- Mexico City
The Museum of fine Arts, Houston. Selected works presented in detail. View the collections - Resources and Lesson Plans for teachers.

Fine Art- Artists of Mexico Research any of these artists selected by Artcyclopedia.

Hispanic Research Center -  Contemporary Hispanic Art: a variety of styles highlighting symbols, images, and color. Such styles include campesina, folkloric, traditional, contemporary Chicano/Latino, and Magic Realism.

Art and Cultural Exhibitions in the Hispanic World. Links page for Online exhibits

Hispanic Art Links artists, museums, galleries, and on-line collections of Hispanic art. Includes great masters from Spain -- 16th thru 20th century art - Resources listed by country, too.

Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum - Chicago Doesn't have a lot of art online.

Cabo Art (contemporary art – commercial site) Examples of Latin American art.

Mexico Connect- Links to contemporary arts and crafts – photograph of artist included

Museum of Latin American Art  Some work online

Find out more! Art of Mexico from Universe in Universe

FINE ARTISTS OF MEXICO

Sergio Bustamante contemporary ceramic, paper mache, bronze furniture and jewelry. Many sun and moon images. More about Sergio - Suns

Maria Elena's Mexico -  Contemporary artist (now living in Oregon). Acrylic Oils and watercolors. This artist also has stories to share about living in Mexico. (Site recommended by a student of mine)

Frida Kahlo and Contemporary Thoughts - excellent site created by Daniela Falini. biography, essays, exhibitions of work and more.  Learn more about Frida Kahlo from this page created by Kansas teacher, Woody Duncan.  Frida on Artcyclopedia

The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo - PBS site includes a biography, photographs of the artist, a timeline, selections of her work with accompanying information, a list of related resources, and educational guides.

Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: Their Lives and Ideas - biographies, information about Mexico and 24 art activities for elementary through middle school - book by Carol Sabbath (Chicago Review Press - Independent Publishers Group, reading level ages 9 & up). The personal and artistic development of both artists is highlighted in this beautifully illustrated book, as well as a history of 20th Century Mexico and a look at Ancient Mexico, giving children a well-rounded look into these legendary Mexican artists.

Jose Guadalupe Pasada Traveling exhibit University of Hawaii.

Diego Rivera Museum -- "legacy to modern Mexican art was decisive in murals and canvas; he was a revolutionary painter looking to take art to the big public, to streets and buildings, managing a precise, direct, and realist style, full of social content." Diego Rivera on Artcyclopedia

Remedios Varo [Spanish/Mexican Surrealist Painter, 1908-1963] See the Varo Registry (Contemporary women artists. preview all artists before showing to students)  List of prints available for purchase (view the catalog)  "Fan" site - many links to check

Mexican Artists - listed by Artcyclopedia

FOLK ART AND CRAFTS                                                               [TO TOP]

Mexican Ceramics - Learn all about Mata Ortiz pottery, Casa Grandes and more.

Fantastic Figures: Oaxacan Ceramic Folk Art - Featuring the work of Josefina Aquilar (Crizmac Video - 30 minutes) (lesson plan to come)

Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art form National Museum of American Indian.

Alebrijes paper mache creatures from the Lopez family. (This site has pop-up adds).  See some examples from the Linares family.  NOVICA online - examples of papier mache. Alebrijes (pronounced al leh BREE haze) are made out of a wood found in Oaxaca, or papier-mache. Day of the Dead skeletons  More Days of the Dead art  Work by the Linares family

Lion Scorpion Alebrijes by Miguel Linares--  Combines the face of a ferocious lion, the claws of a stinging scorpion, and the horns of a wild beast (no longer on Getty ArtsEdNet).

Paper Mache - from Milagros Seattle (commercial site)

Alebrijes or Animalitos A brief explanation and a few images - from Mexico online.

Alebrijes - Oaxacan Woodcarving - El Caracol Zapoteca fine Oaxacan Woodcarving Gallery. These are some of the finest examples I have seen. Beautiful details - nice close up views. Educational site (as well as commercial). This gallery does give art teachers permission to use images provided you send them email first. If you want only a few - Fair Use guidelines are permitted. 

Alebrijes - Oaxacan Woodcarving Lots of whimsical animals. Several folk artists featured - from La Fuente Imports. Also see beautiful Amate Bark paintings. Huichol bead art and yarn painting. More folk art and fine art to feast the eyes. Commercial site - but beautiful contemporary crafts.

Dos Mujeres Mexican Folk Art -- Alebrijes -- Amate Paintings -- Master Artists -- Day of the Dead Folk Art and more

Paper Art of Mexico (no images) Since pre­Columbian times amate has been made from the bark of various moraceous trees including the fig (amatl in Nahuatl), which is crushed, pounded into flat sheets and dried.  (New links to come on this     topic)                                      

Artisans in focus: Zapotec Weaver-- the history and culture of the weavers of Teotitlan del Valle is alive and thriving. Weaving of the Gonzalez family. Learn a little of Zapotec history.

Mexican Folk Art - pdf file (52 pages). Excellent review for you and your students from Pheobe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology. (Teaching Kit available)

Mexican Folk Art -Tesoros Escondidos: Hidden Treasures from the Mexican Collections - Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology. This is a temporary exhibit - browse now for excellent source of images in all folk art media. 

Mexican Indian Textiles  - Site by Bob Freund - identifies the groups and village where embroidered and woven textiles come from. Lots of detail images.

Zapotec Weavings - How Zapotec create their weavings (brief description and some images) Here a some good images of Zapotec Weavers.  

Zapotec Weaving Video - The Village of Textiles: Teotitlan del Valle 20 minute video available from Crizmac 

The Huichol Indians- Yarn Painting-- paintings are personal interpretations of some aspect of Huichol relationship to the Gods.

Ojo de Dios or Eye of God Huichol Indians of Mexico and the Aymara Indians of Bolivia weave brightly colored yarn on a simple frame of crossed sticks to make a design called "Ojo de Dios" or "Eye of God". Make one for yourself. In Mexico, The central eye was made when a child was born. Each year, a bit of yarn was added until the child turned five at which point the Ojo was complete. Here is a very complex Huichol design (read description) Many instructions can be found online - from simple to complex.

Ojo de Dios by Jay Mohler. See these very complex designs of yarn mandalas inspired by the Ojo de Dios of Mexico. Instructions included for eight sided Ojo de Dios.

Milagro Seattle -- offers an extensive selection of whimsical and collectible works of art by several of Mexico's most renowned artisans.

Casa Mexicana--folk art and fine art from Mexico, and occasionally have a few items from selected South and Central American countries. Masks, carvings and more.

Milagros Gallery of Sonoma. We specialize in hand selected Mexican Folk Art and home furnishings.

Whimsical Art - folk art from Mexico -- Oaxacan wood carvings, coconut mask, Mexican tin mirrors, handmade Christmas ornaments.

NOVICA - Mexican Art   Andes   Brazil

Folk Art Exhange  The Alebrijes and Animalitos are mystic, imaginary, and hand-made wood art. In the beginning these pieces were made with papier mâché. Today the artisans use different kinds of wood, Copal, Cedar (Cedro), Aguatcatillo, and Twisted Wood (Palo Torcido).

Lively Arts - Mexican Folk Art

Mexican Dance and Culture - Xuchipilli is the Aztec divinity of the Dance and the Love. 

Museum of International Folk Art - Santa Fe Online exhibits change from time to time. Notes on selected exhibits  Museum of New Mexico 

Papier- Mache Learn all about techniques and history of this craft.

STUDENT HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

CONTEMPORARY INDIGENOUS CULTURES

Maya Inca Aztec - Ethno Photo Documentation of Indigenous Cultures. 
This is a commercial site - but has some wonderful photos of the people 
today. See colorful photos of people of Mayan, Incan and Aztec decent. 
Site is by Warren Michael Stokes. Teachers have permission to use his 
photographs for educational use.

LATIN AMERICAN ART

Arte Latino Treasures from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Art traditions from 18th through 20th centuries.

El Museo Del Barrio Latin American Museum. New York’s leading Latino cultural institution, having expanded its mission to represent the diversity of art and culture in all of the Caribbean and Latin America.

Joaquin Torres-Garcia- Uruguayan Painter and Sculptor Art Museum of the Americas

Latin American & Caribbean Art - Links to history and more from Universes in Universe Worlds of Art compiled by Pat Binder & Gerhard Haupt.

¡del Corazón! Latino Voices in American Art - Smithsonian American Art Museum online exhibit, which uses photographs, videos, and other resources to examine how various Latino artists speak through their different artworks. Lesson plans included (available in English).  Much of the site's materials are available in both English and Spanish.

Rough Cut - Cuba: The Art Revolution - Online video from PBS Frontline. Filmmaker Natasha Del Toro travels to Cuba to meet two of its most acclaimed artists as well as others who make a good living selling their art to tourists in Havana.

Latino Art and Design -  Latino History and Culture - from Smithsonian

Art Museum of the Americas  See virtual gallery and permanent collection  Marisol Escobar

Artists listed by Nationality- Artcyclopedia

These resources are just beginning. Please send me your favorites - 
send to Judy Decker  (address on home page)

CONTEMPORARY CHICANO -  HISPANIC - LATINO ARTISTS 

Julio Castillo - Yucatan artist - 70% of his money he makes from the sale of his paintings goes to the Mayan people for health care.

Viredo Espinosa Cuban painter and printmaker - now living in California. Check the Engraving gallery for linoleum prints.

Sergio Hernandez - Los Angeles artist who got his start as a cartoonist. See Death Takes Frida! Email Judy Decker if you need this image for a PowerPoint. Don't miss his new cultural art work. Many powerful images!  See Email Interview with Sergio and students at Littlerock High School, Littlerock, California

Nicario Jiménez: Artist of the Andes. Contemporary artist - maker of Retablos - sophisticated art in the form of portable boxes filled with brightly colored figurines arranged into intricate narrative scenes.  Nicario now lives in Florida.

Marion Martinez Hispanic themes in art - all from discarded circuit boards. image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Crosses, Milagro and Sacred Hearts, Matachine Headdresses, Santos, Southwest Imagery, and AzTechna Jewelry all created from circuit boards and other technological gems. New Mexico artist.

Oscar Martinez - Contemporary - Figurative work full of line, pattern and color with a bit of mystery ("artwork is about the mysteries of the mind"). Very inspirational! Original oil paintings and Giclee prints prints. Born in Puerto Rico - now living in Chicago, Illinois.

Soraida Martinez - Latino artist of Puerto Rican heritage - known as the creator of "Verdadism", a form of hard-edge abstraction in which paintings are juxtaposed with social commentaries. Many women's issues - and about minorities. Must see site.

Petra Espinoza Rosales - Dolls of Mexico Mexican States Porcelain doll collection. Click on State map - see dolls representing authentic costume from each state of Mexico. Each Doll is hand crafted. El Paso artist.

XISPAS - The Journal of Chicano Art, Culture and Politics Wonderful art represented - cartoons, too. Write to artists for permission to use images. Visit their individual web sites.

HISPANIC ART EDUCATION

Crizmac Art and Educational Materials - High quality programs for arts and crafts of Mexico. Many materials for Days of the Dead

RETANET- Resources for Teaching about the Americas- Access over 65 lesson plans dealing with Latin America, the Caribbean and culture studies. Many lessons are cross-disciplinary and some integrate the Internet into the activities. Art Lessons.

LESSON PLANS - HISPANIC ART AND CULTURE

Amate Bark Painting: Folk Art of Latin America Middle school through high school - Lesson by Grace Hall, Bogalusa City Schools

Papel Amate - lesson for middle school -RetaNet Resources.

Chicana and Chicano Space - A Thematic, Inquiry-Based Art Education Resource. 25 Chicana/o and earlier artworks and detailed information about each, as well as thematic instructional units focused on these artworks. From Arizona State University (adaptable middle school through high school)

Hispanic Art - Art of Mexico - Lesson Ideas 

Five Artists of the Mexican Revolution ArtsEdge-Kenndy Center lesson grade 9 through 12.

Popular Mexican Arts Yale-New Haven lesson plan.

STUDENT HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT