Monday, October 3, 2016

Internship at La Sirena Mexican Folk Art


Hola, my name is Dulce Hernandez. 
I am currently a student studying Graphic Design at Queens College. I am an undocumented student who has been blessed with a scholarship award from the CUNY BECAS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. This program supports undocumented students who have faced all kinds of adversities in their lives including financial distress for their education. The program encourages these students to continue their education and become leaders who will use their skills to better their communities, reach their goals, and become thriving individuals who will improve the world of tomorrow. Many undocumented students across the United States have had the opportunity to attend universities, however, most students do not receive financial aid. Therefore, it can become a burden to undocumented students with big dreams but who are currently at poverty level and do not have the financial resources to attend a higher institution. CUNY BECAS is linked with the Jaime Lucero Mexican Studies Institute at Lehman College and the program offers financial,educational and career support to these students. Along with the scholarship award, students are given the opportunity to do an internship with organizations who support the Mexican community, as well as, provide opportunities to do work related to their field of study. Thanks to CUNY BECAS, I was given the opportunity to intern at a place that will be held in my heart forever.

"La Sirena" is a piece of Mexico located in the heart of the East Village, in Downtown Manhattan. The mission of this folk art shop is to help support different artisans from many parts of Mexico. These artisans have created a variety of beautiful folk art in Mexico but sometimes it can be difficult for them to sell their art due to socio-economic issues that occur in the country. Therefore, "La Sirena" ensures to sell their art in the diverse community of New York City so that their artwork can be recognized. As an intern, it has been my duty to ensure that "La Sirena" becomes more known to the community and to the rest of the world. For my Internship, I have been challenged to work on projects that will help "La Sirena" grow. Some of these projects include creating promotional flyers and banners, updating some of their social media pages and doing research that can help expand the knowledge of what "La Sirena" is all about. I believe that so far, this has been a wonderful experience for me, as I am doing work that is related to my field of study, but also learning about the art in the shop. In the future, I would like to own an art gallery or printing company that will have a similar mission to "La Sirena", and I believe I am learning much of what I need to know to make my dream come true.


Thursday, August 11, 2016

Guerrero jaguar mask

Buenas tardes,
Just in, this wonderful Guerrero jaguar mask, hand carved wood with animal teeth and mirrored eyes!
$350

The Jaguar Mask
These masks are used in different dances in the States of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, Chiapas and Tabasco. In Guerrero one of the dances is called La Danza de Los Tecuanes, (The Human Eaters Dance) and focus on the hunting and killing of the jaguar character, which has been harassing the community. Usually the mask is wood carved and when done in communities with a lacquer tradition it is also lacquered and decorated with peccary tusks and hair.
Other Jaguar dances are concerned with maintaining balance in the natural world and the agricultural cycle.

Masks of Guerrero
Geurrero has the most prolific masked festival traditions in Mexico, with a variety of dances and mask types. This is due to the large population of Nahua peoples spread throughout the northern and eastern sections of the state, along with smaller groups of Mixtec, Amuzgo, and Tlapanec. For the most part, the performances take place on saints' feast days and civic holidays.

From the book: Tigers, Devils, and the Dance of Life - Masks of Mexico