Artists Celebrate Latino Community Stories and Talents in Estampas De La Raza Exhibit

The Delaware Art Museum’s (DelArt's) current exhibition, Estampas De La Raza, is a collection of 61 prints made to represent the Chicano movement. American artists of Mexican and Latino heritage in the decades following the Chicano movement of the 1970s created vibrant and exciting prints. For the first time in 12 years, the museum is displaying the works for the public. The exhibit opened on April 1, 2023 and is on view until May 28, 2023. 

Cesar Viveros is a Chicano muralist working with DelArt for the exhibition. Cesar has transformed the museum’s entry hall into a bodega with a new mural and is working with local Latino community centers to screen-print posters to be displayed around Latino businesses in the city. 

The Museum is also working with fashion designer, Julieta Zavala, who will incorporate the posters into 11 different looks in a fashion show at the museum.

We connected with Cesar and Julieta to ask about their work and their thoughts on the exhibit. (The interviews are provided below in both English and Spanish.)

Cesar Viveros Interview
DAI: Your mural is quite striking. What was your inspiration for the piece?
(Tu mural es bastante llamativo. ¿Cuál fue tu inspiración para la pieza?)

CV: I wanted to create a space that could feel familiar for the Latino community, where this audience could identify this space as part of their own; where they could feel that the art is about them and at the same time, the general public also could have the opportunity to respond to this visual occupation. In reality, I am basically ‘owning’ the space for a time, converting a simple wall that otherwise would be ignored into an obligated stop for patrons to find out what happened to the space; especially regular museum visitors, who may feel intrigued by the imposing, eye-catching blinking LED lights, inviting them to pay attention.

I knew I was going to create a series of posters in response to the Estampas De La Raza exhibition, and I knew that I was going to get plenty of inspiration from community members telling me their stories, just as I do when painting murals. But the idea of the “tienda de la esquina” — or bodega, as we know the corner store — fit perfectly to display the posters the same way I would do in real life streets. The posters reflect personal and collective stories of the Wilmington community — immigrants from different countries of Latino America and the Caribbean.

CV: Quería crear un espacio que pudiera resultar familiar para la comunidad latina, donde esta audiencia pudiera identificar este espacio como parte de sí mismo; donde pudieran sentir que el arte es sobre ellos y al mismo tiempo, el público en general también pudiera tener la oportunidad de responder a esta ocupación visual. En realidad, básicamente soy “dueño” del espacio por un tiempo, convirtiendo una simple pared que de otro modo sería ignorada en una parada obligada para que los usuarios averigüen qué pasó con el espacio; especialmente los visitantes habituales del museo, que pueden sentirse intrigados por las imponentes y llamativas luces LED parpadeantes, que les invitan a prestar atención.

Sabía que iba a crear una serie de carteles en respuesta a la exposición ESTAMPAS DE LA RAZA, y sabía que iba a obtener mucha inspiración de los miembros de la comunidad que me contarían sus historias, tal como lo hago cuando pinto murales. Pero la idea de la “tienda de la esquina” —o bodega, como conocemos la tienda de la esquina— encajaba perfectamente para exhibir los carteles de la misma manera que lo haría en las calles de la vida real. Los carteles reflejan historias personales y colectivas de la comunidad de Wilmington, inmigrantes de diferentes países de América Latina y el Caribe.

DAI: Why did you choose to create a full-length wall installation over a multi-piece exhibit? (¿Por qué eligió crear una instalación de pared de cuerpo entero sobre una exhibición de varias piezas?)

CV: I thought that since I can always make paintings or posters to be hung up on walls, I should grab the rare opportunity of working in the museum, to come up with something fresh and fun, and to deliver more serious themes in the process. The themes that matter to the people on a daily basis, in their own words, honoring their stories; that’s what brought [inspiration to] my visual narrative. I decided that it would be more dramatic to use all the wall. That idea was playing in my head, given the nature of my work — I am constantly changing the spaces in the neighborhood. For me, it made sense to take advantage of the medium I know best and recreate scenarios that help to narrate the stories.

CV: Pensé que dado que siempre puedo hacer pinturas o carteles para colgar en las paredes, debería aprovechar la rara oportunidad de trabajar en el museo, para pensar en algo nuevo y divertido, y presentar temas más serios en el proceso. Los temas que le importan a la gente a diario, en sus propias palabras, haciendo honor a sus historias; eso es lo que trajo [inspiración a] mi narrativa visual. Decidí que sería más dramático usar toda la pared. Esa idea rondaba en mi cabeza, dada la naturaleza de mi trabajo, estoy cambiando constantemente los espacios del barrio. Para mí tenía sentido aprovechar el medio que mejor conozco y recrear escenarios que ayuden a narrar las historias.

DAI: What does this piece represent for you and the Latin community? What do you want viewers to "see" in this piece?
(¿Qué representa esta pieza para ti y la comunidad latina? ¿Qué quieres que los espectadores "vean" en esta pieza?)

CV: This piece aligns with my artistic practice: bringing to the spotlight vivid memories of community members or myself, creating a space not just for introspection but for conversation that can help us understand current issues affecting our daily lives. I want other people to know than in my process, I purposely intend to share my experiences — or, in this case, Latino Community experiences — with the audience that they otherwise may not be aware of: the impact caused by obsolete immigration laws; discriminatory policies; social numbness for other people’s lives, even when this could be the experience of the person who cooks our food, cleans our yard, drive us in Uber, or constructs our buildings. The art shows the beauty of people’s determination, moments of celebrations, and triumphs, but at the same time serves as a public denounce. I want the Latino Community to know that the Delaware Art Museum can be a place of acceptance.

CV: Esta pieza se alinea con mi práctica artística: sacar a la luz recuerdos vívidos de los miembros de la comunidad o de mí mismo, creando un espacio no solo para la introspección sino también para la conversación que puede ayudarnos a comprender los problemas actuales que afectan nuestra vida diaria. Quiero que otras personas sepan que en mi proceso, tengo la intención de compartir mis experiencias, o, en este caso, las experiencias de la comunidad latina, con la audiencia de la que de otra manera no estarían al tanto: el impacto causado por las leyes de inmigración obsoletas; políticas discriminatorias; entumecimiento social para la vida de otras personas, incluso cuando esta podría ser la experiencia de la persona que cocina nuestra comida, limpia nuestro jardín, nos lleva en Uber o construye nuestros edificios. El arte muestra la belleza de la determinación de las personas, momentos de celebración y triunfos, pero al mismo tiempo sirve como denuncia pública. Quiero que la comunidad latina sepa que el Museo de Arte de Delaware puede ser un lugar de aceptación.

DAI: How did you choose the other works (prints) to be included in the mural?
(¿Cómo elegiste las obras de los otros artistas (grabados) para incluirlas en el mural?)

CV: The posters are my designs; the only thing regret is not having time to do more! I love this medium. Posters were used to effectively message and to reach out to the masses. I think [the medium] is still functioning well today.

CV: Los carteles son mis diseños; ¡Lo único que lamento es no tener tiempo para hacer más! Me encanta este medio. Los carteles se utilizaron para enviar mensajes de manera efectiva y llegar a las masas. Creo que [el medio] todavía funciona bien hoy.

DAI: What is your favorite work in the Estampas De La Raza exhibit and why?
(¿Cuál es tu obra favorita de la exposición Estampas De La Raza y por qué?)

CV: My favorite piece is SUN-RAID by Ester Hernandez. It’s genius. This piece kind of set the direction for what I wanted to do with my installation — the alteration of words, the critical implications of my prints. But, I admit that the Hernandez piece pushed the accelerator all the way — crude and unapologetic right in your face — while I like to disguise things, letting the audience digest the subtle messages embedded in the posters and the signs.

CV: Mi pieza favorita es SUN-RAID de Ester Hernandez. es genial Esta pieza marcó la dirección de lo que quería hacer con mi instalación: la alteración de las palabras, las implicaciones críticas de mis grabados. Pero admito que el artículo de Hernández pisó el acelerador a fondo —crudo y sin disculpas justo en tu cara— mientras que a mí me gusta disfrazar las cosas, dejando que la audiencia digiera los mensajes sutiles incrustados en los carteles y los letreros.

DAI: Why do you feel this exhibit is so important now? What do you feel can audiences learn from these works as a whole?
(¿Por qué cree que esta exhibición es tan importante ahora? ¿Qué crees que puede aprender el público de estas obras en su conjunto?)

CV: It seems like the themes of the Estampas De La Raza exhibition have a parallel sense of urgency today, as in the past: Kids in cages, gentrification, displacement, intolerance, ageism, classism, mass incarceration, etc. It’s important to continue the conversation, even when these are not currently in the news.

CV: Parece que los temas de la exposición Estampas De La Raza tienen un sentido de urgencia paralelo hoy, como en el pasado: niños enjaulados, gentrificación, desplazamiento, intolerancia, discriminación por edad, clasismo, encarcelamiento masivo, etc. Es importante continuar la conversación. , incluso cuando estos no están actualmente en las noticias.

Julieta Zavala Interview
DAI: What drew you to becoming a fashion artist?
(¿Qué te llevó a convertirte en una artista de la moda?)

JZ: Since I was a child, I knew that I liked to make things like clothes for my dolls.

JZ: Desde que era niña supe que me gustaba hacer cosas como ropa a mis muñecas etc. 

DAI: Who are your artistic inspirations from the Latinx community?
(¿Quiénes son tus inspiraciones artísticas de la comunidad Latinx?)

JZ: I had the opportunity to meet many artists from the Philadelphia community in the "La Guagua 47" project, including Cesar Viveros, whose excellent work and great talent has inspired many, including me in the community.

JZ: Tuve la oportunidad de conocer muchos artistas de la comunidad de Philadelphia en el proyecto de "La Guagua 47" entre ellos Cesar Viveros el cual ha sido su excelente trabajo y gran talento ha inspirado a muchos incluyendome en la comunidad.

DAI: What do you want audiences to take away after viewing your work?
(¿Qué quieres que se lleve el público después de ver tu trabajo?)

JZ: I would like them to take a little bit of my culture with them, that they enjoy it and also that they have something to think about regarding our social problems.

JZ: Me gustaria que se llevaran un poquito de mi cultura con ellos que la disfruten y tambien que se queden con algo que pensar en cuanto a nuestros problemas sociales.

DAI: What is your favorite work in the Estampas De La Raza exhibit and why?
(¿Cuál es tu obra favorita de la exposición Estampas De La Raza y por qué?)

JZ: My favorite work is "The March of Lupe Liberty" since it uses two powerful women who are icons of the most recognized, which represents us as immigrants and also culturally with the Virgin of Guadalupe.

JZ: Mi obra favorita es "La Marcha de Lupe Liberty" ya que usa 2 mujeres poderosas que son iconos de los mas reconocidos ,que nos representa como inmigrantes y tambien culturalmente con la virgen de guadalupe.

DAI: Why do you feel this exhibit is so important now? What do you feel can audiences learn from these works as a whole?
(¿Por qué cree que esta exhibición es tan importante ahora? ¿Qué crees que puede aprender el público de estas obras en su conjunto?)

JZ: I think it is a super important opportunity for the Latinx community because the museum is opening its doors to this gallery that represents us. We need more events that represent us culturally and art is an incredible medium to inspire others and bring communities closer.

JZ: Creo que es una oportunidad para la comunidad Latinx super importante porque el museo esta abriendo sus puertas a esta galeria que nos representa .Necesitamos mas eventos que nos representen culturalme y el arte es un medio increible para inspirar a otros y acercar a las comunidades. 

Theatre Review: Man of La Mancha | Delaware Theatre Company

By Mike Logothetis

Theater reviewer Mike Logothetis grew up in North Wilmington, performing in school and local theater productions. He lives in Newark, but you can find him wherever the arts are good.

Delaware Theatre Company (DTC) closes its 43rd season with the excellent and heartwarming Man of La Mancha. Winner of five Tony Awards including Best Musical, Man of La Mancha features adventure, romance, and rousing classics like “The Impossible Dream” and “I, Don Quixote.” Set during the Spanish Inquisition, the titular Man of La Mancha embarks on an ambitious quest to right all wrongs in the world.

The show was written by Dale Wasserman with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion. It is skillfully directed by DTC Executive Director Matt Silva. Unique to DTC’s production, the sweepingly epic score is brought to life by the performers themselves – all actor/musicians who play their instruments live on stage. Simply stated, they are masters of their substantial crafts.

The opening number (“Prison Scene”) exhibits the cast’s vast range of musical, vocal, and acting chops on a magical set designed by Chris Haig. The setting is a dungeon with articulating stage parts, platforms, stairs, entryways, and steaming floor gates. Literally, the stage is set for an epic theatrical adventure.

And DTC’s Man of La Mancha delivers in a grand way. The story is captivating, the pacing is tight, the acting is superb, and the music is timeless. The company had the audience in the palm of its collective hand, delivering a great Opening Night performance.

When Miguel de Cervantes (Scott Langdon) and his manservant (Victor Rodriguez, Jr.) are thrown into the dungeon by the Spanish Inquisition, doom pervades the scene. Their fellow prisoners attack the newcomers and are eager to steal the contents of a large trunk Cervantes has brought with him. However, a sympathetic criminal known as “the Governor” (Nichalas Parker) suggests setting up a mock trial instead. Only if Cervantes is found guilty will he have to hand over his possessions. Cervantes immediately pleads guilty, but then asks if he may offer a defense in the form of a play, acted out by him and all the prisoners. The “Governor” agrees, and the prisoners watch Cervantes transform into Alonso Quijana – an old gentleman who has read so many books of chivalry and thought so much about injustice that he has lost his mind and set out as a knight-errant. Quijana renames himself “Don Quixote de La Mancha” and goes off to find adventures with his squire, Sancho Panza. The pair tilt at windmills and later take refuge at an inn Quixote swears is a castle.

Langdon and Rodriguez portray Don Quixote and Sancho Panza with prowess. Quixote’s wobbly knee and shattered mind is captured beautifully by Langdon with his powerful stage presence and voice. The role is difficult because the actor must inhabit a political prisoner playing an old man believing he is a chivalric knight. Langdon deftly shifts from mindset to mindset plus delivers superb singing in solo and ensemble pieces. The wonderful physical humor and sincerity Rodriguez imbues into Panza is matched only by his soaring vocals. To quote a line from Panza in the show, “I like him.”

Of course, any great quest must have a damsel and Sierra Wilson towers in her portrayal of Aldonza/Dulcinea. Don Quixote sees the inn’s serving wench and part-time prostitute Aldonza and declares that she is his lady, Dulcinea, to whom he has sworn eternal loyalty (“Dulcinea”). Aldonza is confused and annoyed by Quixote’s persistence but comes around to his kindness by providing him a token of her esteem – an old dishrag. Wilson tempered her powerful voice when required and raised it to stratospheric heights in moments of passion. She commanded you to watch her whenever she was on stage.

Back in the story, Don Quixote’s niece has gone with his housekeeper to seek advice from the local priest, who realizes that the two women are more concerned with the embarrassment Quijana’s madness may bring them than with his actual welfare (“I’m Only Thinking of Him”). Self-serving people want to return Quijana to his home, end the charade of Quixote, and have the old man quietly live out the rest of his life.

What happens to Quixote, Quijana, and Cervantes — plus the ancillary characters on stage — won’t be revealed herein. Suffice it to say there are epic battles, both verbal and physical; personal growth; and hope springing from despair. I can say with confidence that many theatergoers will be humming “The Impossible Dream” walking out through the lobby after the curtain drops.

Other highlights of the show include Josh Totora’s performance of “Barber’s Song” as a one-man band; the four-man guitar-playing arrangement (with percussion) during “Little Bird, Little Bird”; the brilliant effects during “Knight of the Mirrors”; and the overall motion of the action. Kudos to director Silva for keeping things dynamic on stage with insightful physical instructions for his players.

The performance schedule of Man of La Mancha is: Wednesdays (2:00pm), Thursdays (7:00pm), Fridays (8:00pm), Saturdays (2:00pm & 8:00pm), and Sundays (2:00pm) through April 30. Tickets start at $29 while discounts are available for students, groups, and military members/veterans. The show is roughly two-and-a-quarter hours long with one 15-minute intermission. There will be pre-show Viewpoints on Wednesdays at 1:15pm during the run plus talkbacks after Thursday performances. Call (302)594-1100 or visit DelawareTheatre.org to purchase tickets or for performance information. Delaware Theatre Company is located at 200 Water Street in Wilmington.

My advice is to “sit aquí” at DTC and enjoy the show!

Theater Review: Assassins | City Theater Company

By Mike Logothetis
Theater reviewer Mike Logothetis grew up in North Wilmington, performing in school and local theater productions. He lives in Newark, but you can find him wherever the arts are good.

Photo by Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography.

City Theater Company (CTC) closes its season with a bang by staging the Tony Award-winning Assassins — a show described as “one of the most controversial musicals ever written.”  The script openly examines our nation’s culture of celebrity and the violent means some will use to obtain it.  The story studies America’s four successful and five would-be presidential assassins through music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman.  The show is based on an original concept by Charles Gilbert, Jr.

CTC first presented Assassins in 1998 when current Artistic Director Kerry Kristine McElrone played Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme.  McElrone is excited to revisit the show 25 years later: “When deciding on our 29th season, I knew I wanted us to do a Sondheim piece. Assassins has always been an important show to me [and] the time felt right to restage this one for a new CTC audience.”

The dark and slyly comic show shadows a group of successful and wannabe Presidential assassins throughout U.S. history, framing their experiences in a broader exploration of American ideals.  The show opens in a carnival shooting gallery and moves through various venues including the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository.  Guns are central to the fates of the characters and the overall theme of the show.  In fact, one of the musical numbers is entitled “Gun Song.”

The score reflects the popular music of each era as the characters tell their stories through scenes and songs.  While Sondheim’s music is often quite syncopated, many of these songs were rhythmic and jaunty like “The Ballad of Booth.”  A small live orchestra situated next to the stage deftly accompanied the stage action.  Other noteworthy songs include “The Ballad of Guiteau,” “Unworthy of Your Love,” and the closing number “Everybody’s Got the Right.”  The latter is a rallying cry which can be taken a few disparate ways — forcing the audience to fully consider what they’ve just experienced on stage in front of (and next to) them.

Photo by Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography.

Director Joe Trainor has placed his actors where you cannot avoid them — on a stage almost touching the front row of patrons, in the middle aisle, and on strategically-placed risers.  Kudos to Rick Neidig on his set design and “patriotic” backdrop.  The pacing of the show is excellent with entrances, exits, and dialog moving effortlessly.

Trainor is thrilled to be tackling his first Sondheim show: “For a play that first premiered in 1990, Assassins is shockingly accessible in 2023.  It’s an incredibly challenging work, both in its subject matter and in its technical aspects.  The music and its pastiche style are incredible.  [It] entertains us even as it forces us to go uncomfortably deep within our own minds, and our collective histories.”

The musical opened in 1990 to many negative reviews — mostly concerning the subject matter and character focus.  Even Sondheim admitted he expected backlash due to the show’s content: “There are always people who think that certain subjects are not right for musicals...[w]e're not going to apologize for dealing with such a volatile subject.  Nowadays, virtually everything goes.”

McElrone says, “Assassins is about a disparate group of loners who…find themselves in the same room at the same time, reliving their crimes with relish almost for each other’s benefit, like a support group from hell.”

That hellish support group is played brilliantly by Chris Banker, Daryan Borys, Jim Burns, Adam Cooper, Kristin Finger, Dylan Geringer, Joshua Gold, Aidan McDonald, Paul McElwee, Emma Romeo Moyer, Kevin Regan, Kit Regan, and Brian Turner.  While all are excellent, Finger captured the manic Sara Jane Moore to chilling perfection while toting a gun and KFC bucket with equal diffidence.  McDonald was a compelling John Wilkes Booth whose belief that “the country is not what it was” line resonates in the modern politic now.

There are several powerful and unhinged diatribes in this play, but those by Kevin Regan — portraying Nixon-threatening Samuel Byck — were remarkable.  Juxtaposing a deranged wanna-be hijacker and assassin with a Bud-guzzling man in a Santa suit kept the audience rapt.  Could this unrealistic loner really pull off what he says he can?  When Booth gets into Lee Harvey Oswald’s head to convince him to squeeze his trigger and Hinkley refers to Oswald as an inspiration for his shooting of Reagan, you know you’ve entered serious satire.  It is not for the faint of heart, but it is compelling.

All the cast members bring real intensity to their roles and the subject matter.  Even the excellent Brian Turner (The Balladeer) kept his darkly comic narration focused on mental failings and perceived societal ills.  His powerful voice both set the tone and analyzed the action.

Simply put, all the parts of this show work together in beautiful harmony not often found in regional theater.  Kudos to “the underlings” who have risen to the occasion with aplomb!

Assassins will be performed April 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, and 22.  Curtain for all shows is 8:00pm except for the lone Sunday matinee at 2:00pm (April 16).  Run time is approximately 105 minutes without an intermission.  City Theater Company’s home is in the Wings Black Box at The Delaware Contemporary located at 200 South Madison, Wilmington, DE19801.  

Tickets ($30-45) can be purchased at the box office or online.  Special ticket pricing is available for military personnel and students. CTC does not currently require proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Mask-wearing is optional per guest preference. Please be respectful of fellow patrons’ choices.  Call the box office at 302.220.8285 or email citytheatercompany@gmail.com for details about the show.

CTC’s mission is to create a body of work that takes risks and breaks barriers — just as The Delaware Contemporary’s is to take risks and push boundaries.  Both institutions are invested in promoting the work of local and emerging artists, advancing opportunity and growth by and for the community, and welcoming all those looking to experience art.

City Theater Company is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Divisions promotes Delaware arts events on DelawareScene.com.

Advisory: Assassins deals with mature content, including R-rated and racially charged language.  This production uses non-firing, replica, prop guns.  No live ammunition or working weapons are used in this production.  This production features gunshot sounds throughout.  All such sounds are pre-recorded. CTC can provide disposable earplugs for your comfort.

To quote John Wilkes Booth: “There is no quiet desperation here.”