The Saysay Project:
THE ARRIVAL OF THE 12TH POBLADOR
a Filipino American art exhibit
May 10 – May 25, 2014
Pico House Gallery, El Pueblo Historical Monument, Los Angeles
In celebration of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Heritage Month, FilAm ARTS and El Pueblo Historical Monument invite visual artists to participate in an exhibit that explores the narratives of Filipino presence in Los Angeles – from the 12th Poblador Antonio Miranda Rodriguez, who was of Filipino descent, one of the original 12 founding families but who never made it to Los Angeles; the Galleon Trade, the Farm Workers Movement; the Zoot Suits; Mexipinos; to the waves of Filipino Americans who contribute to the larger story of the City of Angels. We also seek artwork that explores the connections between the peoples of the Philippines and Mexico as they draw parallel experiences under the Spanish rule.
Excerpt from History, 228th birthday.lacity.org
In 1777, Alta California Governor Felipe de Neve chose the sites of San Jose and Los Angeles as the first two pueblos in Alta California. He named the Los Angeles settlement El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Ángeles de Porciúncula. This meant, “The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of Porciúncula.”
That same year, Governor Neve traveled to the distant town of Alamos in Sonora, New Spain (today, the nation of Mexico) to recruit 11 families. These families were comprised of 11 men, 11 women, and 22 children. The heads of Los Angeles’ eleven founding families were Antonio Clemente Villavicencio, a Spaniard; Antonio Mesa, a Negro; Jose Fernando Lara, a Spaniard, Jose Vanegas, an Indian; Pablo Rodriquez, an Indian; Manuel Camero, a Mulatto; Jose Antonio Navarro, a Mestizo; Jose Moreno, a Mulatto; Basillio Rosas, an Indian; Alejandro Rosas, an Indian; and Luis Quintero, a Negro. All were poor farmers of Indigenous, European, and African origin and were known as los pobladores (the settlers.)
There was also a twelfth poblador named Antonio Miranda Rodríguez who was of Filipino descent. He joined los pobladores while in Sinaloa, New Spain. When los pobladores reached Loreto, New Spain, Miranda decided to stay behind with his daughter who had become ill with smallpox.
Upon reaching the San Gabriel Mission, Governor Neve prepared the 44 pobladores for their new homes along El Rio de Nuestra Señora La Reina de Los Angeles de Porciúncula. On September 4, 1781, the 11 families were escorted by four Spanish soldiers, and walked nine miles down the dusty trail towards the river and established El Pueblo de Los Angeles (The Town of the Queen of the Angeles.) Today, the great metropolis of Los Angeles is the most ethnically diverse city in the world.
HOW TO SUBMIT ARTWORK
Rules & Guidelines for submitting artwork are as follows :
Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of curators from FilAm ARTS, El Pueblo Historical Monument and partner organizations.
Applicants must submit an online application at tinyurl.com/SaysayArtForm, which includes:
1. Three (3) images about the theme with their descriptions
2. An Artist Statement (150 words or less)
3. Artist’s Headshot
4. An Artist Bio (100 words or less)
Deadline for online submissions is: April 15, 2014 .
When selected, the artist must bring to the gallery ready-to-hang original art pieces:
– Each piece submitted must be labeled with the submission form and attached to work.
– Framed work and work on paper/canvas in either direction.No rolled canvases will be accepted. Large pieces are subject to the availability of space.
– Unframed pieces must be professionally presented in a portfolio, mounted or otherwise protected.
– Sculpture to be submitted will be subject to the availability of space.
– Installation work must be submitted in the form of documentation (i.e.photo, DVD or USB flash drive), along with a sample/article from the installation, if possible.FilAm ARTS will consider all media.
Applicants are responsible to lift and transport their submitted artwork to and from the gallery. Gallery staff & volunteers are not able to assist, including heavy & awkward-shaped pieces.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact our office at 213-380-3722, or e-mail me here at [email protected].
A mural honoring Filipino American labor leaders Philip Vera Cruz and Larry Itliong in Filipino Town in Los Angeles. Courtesy Eliseo Art Silva