Jenny Mendez, chairwoman of the Azteca
de Greater Kansas City Guild of Latino Fine Arts and director of
Mattie Rhodes Art Center, just led a successful run with the exhibition
called “Communidad/Community” focused on the power of community at
La Esquina during June.
The exhibition included artists Jessica Manco,
Adolfo Martinez, Israel Garcia, Shane Evans, Dan Dakotas, Sonie Ruffin, Maria
Boyd, Jacob Weller, Sue Moreno, Vanessa Ayala and Dominic Murillo.
“This particular collaboration with Urban Cultural
Project-Charlotte Street Foundation and Azteca is critical because the gallery
La Esquina is in the heart of the Latino community on KC’s Westside neighborhood,”
she says. “To bring them together and to work together to make this event happen
is ‘Community’ and will let people feel welcome in a space that they might
have never have ventured out to discover.”
The mission of Azteca de Greater Kansas City
is to share the multi-Latino cultures and traditions through the arts, cultural
events, exhibitions and activities. A non-profit organization formed in 1991,
Azteca is committed to furthering the advancements of Latino arts and artists
throughout the Greater Kansas City area. They have organized the Cinco de Mayo
Parade and Fiesta for 15 years now.
“It is very important that a group like Azteca
steps out and promotes Latino arts and culture because we need to hear about
the positive contributions in the arts that ethnic groups are making. Latinos
are a rich people and through their arts, they speak about many things,” Mendez
says. “Azteca is a venue and a support for this to happen. Without groups like
Azteca, the outside communities would not know about Latino culture or be able
to connect to people/communities that are not in there everyday circles.”
For more information visit the Web site at www.aztecadegkc.org.
