Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15, a significant day in several Latin American countries. It is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates independence on September 16, Chile on September 18, and Belize on September 21.
New York State has the fourth-largest Latino population in the United States. Nearly one in five New Yorkers identifies as Latino or Hispanic. Since 2000, the Latino population in the state has grown by nearly 33 percent, today making up 19 percent of all New Yorkers. Every day, members of the Latino community help shape New York’s bright future with their hard work, dedication, and ideas.
For its second year Grupo Cultural will show traditional pieces from its presentation and Art Collection used in classes to educate our community about different Latin American traditions in Western NY.
The resulting collection comprises more than 100 works of art, including Textile, paper mache masks, sculpture, photography, prints, and mixed-media, used by GCLER artists and a team of volunteers. Several of these pieces are now considered major contributors to the Western NY community.
Hispanic and Latino artists have had a strong impact and influence on the history of American Art. Drawing from cultural traditions and imagery, their artwork provides powerful and expressive commentary ranging in themes from migration to representation.
