Discovery Green and Talento Bilingue de Houston present the Las Comadres Recycled: Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition. On display September 3 – 17 during park hours. Meet the artists September 3, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
At the beginning of JUNE, an open call went out for a juried outdoor public exhibit entitled “LAS COMADRES RECYCLED,” in which Houston artists create EIGHT life-size statues inspired by fictional “Doñas” (matriarchs) which commemorate sustainable ideas and practices which benefit and nourish our Pachamama (Mother Earth).
In Latino culture, “Doñas” (matriarchs) are revered for shouldering family traditions, enforcing rules and efficiently running the household. These influential women, endearingly called "COMADRES", are integral pillars in the community. As friends who support one another, these pertinent female metaphors are symbols which nurture values and behaviors to promote dignity and pride for our collective home.
By creating a memorable and iconic “Comadre,” artists make a dynamic statements relating to the environment. The event acts as a precedent as sculptures are constructed exclusively of recyclable materials and will be a part of a collective outdoor exhibit at both Discovery Green and Guadalupe Park Plaza, two highly visible locations in Houston to be seen by thousands of park-goers.
Inspired by a goal to unite the arts and prevailing attitudes towards the bioshpere, Planeta Verde Now (PVN) an ecologically driven campaign begun in 2009 by TBH, continues a green initiative within the Latino community by aligning art, performance, and cross-media events as well as relationships with artists, groups, and relevant organizations in Houston and make an impact in the way our culture relates with the environment.
Each “Doña” will have an accompanying plaque with her name and accomplishment(s).
Selected artists and respective “Doñas”:
LIZ CONCES SPENCER, Doña Rosa Gardenia Muelle
LISBETH ORTÍZ, Doña Eva Luz
JORGE GALVAN, Doña Susie de la Limpieza
REGINA AGU, Doña Renee “The Fuel Fixer” Green
MICHAEL KAHLIL TAYLOR, Doña One’der Full’estima
STEPHANIE GUAJARDO, Doña Frida de la naturaleza
ERIN FRY, Doña María Ramos
STALINA E. VILLARREAL, Doña Poly frou-frou Sanguínea
Planeta Verde Now is a TBH Latino Green Initiative dedicated to bridging the arts to local ecological concerns. We offer a multifaceted series of artistic endeavors designed to foster environmental awareness and social responsibility.
With the use of strategic community efforts and through specific grassroots actions, TBH commits to transforming the lives of Latinos by empowering them with the creative means to become involved as green artists and promoters, as recruiters of additional community participation and as vital educators to others by means of its Manada Verde (Green Pride) Campaign. Green Pride’s main objective will be to make its community 100% ecoliterate--in other words, able to read and compose the environment by acquiring a deep understanding of its place and its relationship to it. Also, the Green Pride will educate its community with social practices aligned with sustainable living.
