Title of Event: Juana Estrada-Hernández
Date and time of event: Tuesday March 21, 2023
Location of Event: Holmes Auditorium
Type of Event: Guest Artist Lecture
1.) Provide a brief detail-oriented technical description or summary of the event you attended. (This section should remain journalistic and should not be reflective of your opinion.)
The artist presentation of Juana Estrada Hernandez was a very informative talk where she talks about her life experiences about migrating to the US from Zacatecas, Mexico. She presented past art pieces from middle school and high school to demonstrate her experiences and development in art. There was a clear transition of her past art to her newer pieces in which she originally drew darker and overwhelming pieces such as the devil masked immigrant crossing into the US. She explained that in the past she was upset that there were many missed opportunities such as going to college since she was not a US citizen. However, after a conversation with her niece, her art pieces started becoming more colorful and informative of where she came from in hopes to educate her niece of their Mexican heritage. She is currently working on pieces that are being used in protests to help causes such as immigration legislation.
2.) Use the section below to write a well-structured paragraph focusing on your personal critical insight / response to the event. How did you interpret or react to what was presented to you?
The presentation was very meaningful and full of stories. I enjoyed listening to the artist and relating to some of her experiences. For example, when she showed the audience the picture of her kitchen in Mexico, I immediately thought of my godmother’s kitchen in Mexico and it looked similar with the yellow painted walls and the dishes piled. The artist did an amazing job sharing her story and experiences with the audience. My favorite two pieces were the prints of her grandfather working on his crops and the birthday party with the piñata in the backyard. I could see myself and my family in these prints since my grandfather would work on his crops in Mexico and have bread and coke for lunch when my grandmother was not able to make him a packed lunch. When I saw the print of the piñata, I immediately heard the spanish piñata song that times how long you can hit the piñata for. It brought back many beautiful memories that as a busy adult one might forget.
3.) What information, ideas, images, etc. most impressed you and why?
I was impressed with how diverse and meaningful her work was. I was impressed that one conversation shifted her perspective on the world and shifted her art into a more hopeful light. The piece I enjoyed the most was the piñata print with the mother and daughter on the wall with pencil drawings. It really showed that a story cannot be contained within an enclosed surface but instead stories are fluid and more diverse that cannot be described in a few sentences.
4.) Overall, how would you rate this event (10 being the most worthwhile)?
Nine
5.) Justify your rating in the question above:
I think her connection to her art was very meaningful and connected with me since my parents are also immigrants who came to the US seeking the American Dream. I really enjoyed how she used quotes from her conversations with her family to describe her art and add value behind each piece. Overall the presentation was amazing.