Right In Our Own Backyard

A few months ago I went to a wonderful exhibit of contemporary teapots. Last month I went to a talk by the son of John Steinbeck, and yesterday I went to an exhibit called Tesoros Mexicanos (Mexican Treasures). Where? At the Carlsbad Dove Library. Who knew we had so much literary and artistic offerings in Carlsbad? I certainly didn't.

Mexican Treasures from two folk art collections was simply wonderful, and I urge those who haven't seen it to go. It is at the little art gallery next to the Dove Library until June 27. The exhibit is from the collections of two local residents, Lawrence Kent and Tom Pirazzini. They are both Carlsbad residents, and long time folk art collectors. Lawrence tends to enjoy the whimsical, colorful work of Mexico, while Tom and his wife Alma enjoy traveling to remote villages, meeting artists and trying to understand their culutre.

The exhibit included works from many mediums: terra cotta pottery, ceremonial masks made usually of wood, hair and other fibers, coconuts, maise paste, and many objects made from local materials and scraps. One of my favorite pieces were the sculptures of three Indian women. The material used to make the women is called pasta de cana de maiz. This is a lightweight material that was developed by the Purepecha Indians and the the three figures we saw were just beautiful.

Mexicans love music, and there there were two pieces there that must be mentioned. One was a band of some 20 musicians made out of corn husks. It was incredible. The detail was amazing, right down to the straps on their sandals. The other band was ceramic, very different.

Mexican folk art contains many symbols, among them the tree of life, fantastic looking animals called naguales, ghost or skeleton figures are also coomon, and of course masks. Masks are firmly rooted in pre-Hispanic and colonial times. Masking is an essential part of historical celebrations and other religious events. Interestinly, the masks shown in this exhibit were all well used masks. The collectors don't like to buy new masks, but only well worn masks. I don't know why.

Of course our morning at the museum was followed by a delicious lunch at Karl Strauss. Their black bean soup is delicious! It was great to sit and talk to old friends and meet and get to know some new ones. We always have such fun.

Get over to the Dove Libary when you've got an hour to kill. It's a trip worth taking, and if you can't get to this exhibit, go to the City of Carlsbad website and see what they have planned for the future. It's always something interesting.