Zenith Gallery's 45th Sapphire Anniversary Celebration!

 

ZENITH GALLERY | EXHIBITS | ARTISTS | CONTACT Hours: Wed-Sat 12-6 pm, or by appointment | 202-783-2963 | art@zenithgallery.com  Upcoming Exhibition - Save the Date Zenith Gallery's 45th Sapphire Anniversary Celebration! Show dates: March 10 - April 29, 2023 At 1429 Iris Street NW, Washington DC 20012 MEET THE ARTISTS RECEPTIONS: Friday, March 10, 4-8 pm & Saturday, March 11, 2-6 pm RSVP: Friday event or Saturday event FEATURED ARTISTS: Devotion, by Chris Hayman Alphabet, by Craig Schaffer Winter Lights, by Ronni Jolles What is the Color Line, by Curtis Woody United We Stand, by Margery Goldberg Lotus, by Carol Newmyer Crab Victor with Cherries, by Bert Beirne A Girl Bored , by F. Lennox Campello Ananda, by Joan Konkel Into the Rich and Strange, by Gavin Sewell Rise and Shine, by Elissa Farrow-Savos Channeling Guenther, by Katharine Owens Open Arms, by Richard Binder Zhena's Gypsy Tea, by Donna McCuollough My Sweet Beloved, by Ram Brisueno Clifton's Dream, by Davis Morton Endless Joy, by Len Harris Where to start? 45 years in business is an accomplishment! Every year we reach new heights, and every day.I learn something new. I have so many people to thank. All our staff and interns, past and present, and hundreds of artists who take creativity to a new level with each new work of art. To our clients, visitors and followers… we would not be here if it were not for you. And we thank the media, who graciously covers our exhibitions throughout the decades. Art is forever. Artists tell the emotional history of the times they lived. Artists know how to make much out of little, and the art lasts for centuries, if not millenniums. It continues to be a privilege to share this enormous center of creativity with all of you. Throughout the length of this show we will be having meet-and-greets and zoom chats with several of the artists. We will also arrange a series of studio visits to our artists that live in the area. We would like to hear from you about what you would like… so email us at art@zenithgallery. Margery E. Goldberg

Zenith Gallery Inc. | 1429 Iris Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012

Dora Patin at the Affordable Art Fair

 

Antifa Art

There's a certain elegant artistry in these police mug shots of Antifa terrorists.

Erwin Timmers at the Affordable Art Fair NYC

 

Chawky Frenn @ PEACE WEEK

Professor Chawky Frenn from George Mason University is one of the DMV's true blue chip artists and he will be participating in PEACE WEEK, March 27-31, organized by George Mason University's Carter School for Peace and Conflict Analysis and Resolution.

To see his presentation, timing, location, and free registration, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/556872971047 

Date and Time: Wed, March 29, 2023, 2:00 PM – 3:20 PM EDT 

Location: Vernon Smith Hall, 5th Floor, Room 5183 3434 Washington Blvd Arlington, VA 22201

Speaker: Chawky Frenn, Professor, College of Visual and Preforming Arts, George Mason University

“WE THE PEOPLE: For Show or For Sure?” is a presentation in image and word intended to engage the audience in a soul-searching examination of our own contributions to the challenges and crises facing our country and the world: Can peace survive in a structure embedded with systemic racism in the legal system, health care, and education? Can political representation be fair when election campaigns are swamped with special interests and dark money? To what extent do our politics and policies foster divisions, conflicts, violence, and war? Can there be peace when social justice is defiled and human rights are violated? Art raises awareness, inspires change, and stimulates action by expressing repressed perspectives and contesting dominant narratives.

For information on PEACE WEEK, times and links of presentations and seminars, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/carter-school-spring-peace-week-2023-1762989

GMU Carter School: https://carterschool.gmu.edu/news-events/carter-school-peace-week/spring-2023-peace-week

Photography Exhibit Opens at Gallery B

Gallery B welcomes “Variety Show: A Photo Ensemble” by Creative Platform, a photography group featuring nine photographers. Experience an array of subjects ranging from the living world of plants, people, and built environments with visions that vary from subjective abstraction to straight renderings of photos. Opening reception on Saturday, March 11 from 5-8pm

Gallery B is at the site of the old Fraser Gallery at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, NW in Bethesda.

Gallery Hours

March 9 – April 2, 2023

Thursdays – Saturdays, 12pm - 5pm

Sundays, 12-4pm

Francine Livaditis at MEG

 Multiple Exposures Gallery presents an Exhibition of New Photography

by Francine B. Livaditis

Gehry Reflections

Exhibition Dates

 January 31–March 12, 2023

Hours

Daily 11 am–5 pm

Multiple Exposures Gallery announces the opening of a new photography exhibition by member artist Francine B. Livaditis.

The gallery is located on the third floor of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union Street, in Alexandria, Virginia. Hours are 11 am–5 pm daily. The exhibit runs January 31 through March 12, 2023. 

Gehry Reflections includes photographs Livaditis has made over the past dozen years capturing the interplay of light and color that can be found on the undulating, angled and curvilinear stainless-steel surfaces of buildings designed by the famed architect, Frank Owen Gehry. 

The photographs in Gehry Reflections were taken at four locations: the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, NV; the Museum of Pop Culture (formerly Experience Music Project) in Seattle, WA; Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, CA and Ray and Maria Stata Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA.

Livaditis will be at the gallery between 11am-5pm on Saturday and Sunday, February 4 & 5; Sunday and Monday, February 19 & 20; and Sunday, March 12. In addition, on the evening of Friday, March 10, Livaditis will be at Multiple Exposures Gallery from 5 pm–8 pm. Please stop in to meet the artist and view and discuss her work.

In the past I've noted that "Livaditis consistently displays that sublime skill (which superficially looks so easy, but in reality is incomprehensibly hard) to make everyday scenes look new and different."

Song Alert to the Woke Mafia

Need some woke mafia leaders to cancel this song... cough... cough... it starts like this:

C’ ‘na luna mezz’ u mare

Mamma mia m’a maritare

Figlia mia a cu te dare

Mamma mia pensace tu.

Good luck with that...

Amanda Coehlo at Affordable Art Fair NYC

 

Art Scam Alert!

 Beware of this asswipe trying to rip off artists!

From: Anthony Burrows  anthonyburrows111@gmail.com

Date: February 26, 2023 at 11:16:17 AM EST

Subject: Inquiry about Artwork for Wedding Anniversary Gift

Good day,

I hope this email finds you well. My name is Anthony, and I am reaching out to you with a special request. My wife and I are soon celebrating our wedding anniversary, and I want to make it extra special by giving her a unique artwork as a gift. After researching several artists, I was drawn to your work, and I would love to learn more about the pieces you have available.

Could you kindly provide me with some photos and details of your art, including their sizes and prices? I have a budget of $500 upwards and would like to find a piece that fits within this range.

I appreciate your time and expertise, and I look forward to hearing back from you soon. If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to ask.

Best regards,

Anthony

The Six Most Common Mistakes Artists Make When Approaching Galleries

 Re-posted from 2009, but still applicable:

The Six Most Common Mistakes Artists Make When Approaching Galleries

J. Jason Horejs, owner of Scottdale's Xanadu Gallery has published a book titled "Starving" to Successful | The Artist's Guide to Getting into Galleries and Selling More Art.

This book was written "to help you approach galleries in an organized, systematic and professional way." The book will also help artists avoid the six mistakes listed below.

I'll try to get a copy of this book and review it here, but meanwhile you can order the book here and below are the six most common mistakes according to Jason:

This book springs from my experiences with artists. Several years ago, I began to wonder why artists were inept talking to galleries. I quickly realized most were unsuccessful because there is very little information explaining the best strategies.

That lack of information leads to these blunders:

Mistake #1: Presenting an inconsistent body of work.

Artists generally love their freedom. They want to experiment. They love a challenge. They crave variety. All good things, except when you are presenting your work to a gallery.

The work you present to a gallery needs to be unified. It doesn't need to be repetitive or formulaic, but it must present you as a consistent artist with a clear vision.

Often I feel I am looking at the work of multiple artists as I review a single portfolio. To avoid this problem you need to find focus in your work.
If you work in several media and a variety of styles, focus on just one for the next 6-12 months. Create a body of work that feels like a "series". Once you have 20-25 gallery-ready pieces in this series, you will be ready to approach a gallery.

You can further create consistency by presenting the work in a consistent way. Use similar frames for paintings and photographs, similar bases for sculpture, similar settings for artistic jewelry. Make it very clear all of the work is by the same artist.

If you simply can't rein your style in, consider creating multiple portfolios, one for each style.

Don't confuse the galleries you approach with multiple styles in your portfolio.

Mistake #2: Producing insufficient work to sustain gallery sales.

Many artists create marketable work, but in quantities too low to make a gallery relationship viable. Successful artists are consistently in the studio creating artwork. You may be surprised to learn the results of a recent survey I conducted.

I asked artists how many new works they created in the last twelve months. Painters responded that on average they were creating 53 pieces every twelve months. Sculptors 31. Glass artists 500!

A gallery owner needs to feel confident you will replace sold art quickly and maintain high quality. They want to know if you are successful the can replenish their inventory.

Don't despair if you are far from reaching this goal. Rather, look at your creative production for the last year and set a goal to increase the production by 25% in the next 12 months.

Several suggestions to increase your productivity:

1. Dedicate time daily to your art. Maybe your schedule will only allow for two hours daily, but you will produce more by working for those two hours every day than you will by waiting for big blocks of time.

Treat your studio time as sacred. Train your family and friends to respect that time. You don't interrupt them when they are at work; ask them the same courtesy when you are in the studio.

2. Set a production goal. If I could tell you the secret to producing 50, or 100 pieces per year, would you listen? Here it is: create 1 or 2 pieces per week.

I know it seems overly simple, yet few artists work in a concerted disciplined way to achieve this goal.

(A common objection I hear to this suggestion is that quality will suffer if an artist works this quickly. In my experience, the opposite is true. A certain level of quality may only be obtained by putting miles on the paintbrush, spending hours in the darkroom, moving tons of clay or stone.)

3. Remove distractions from the studio. Move your computer to another room. Unplug the telephone. Nothing kills an artist's focus faster than the constant interruption of technology. Your inbox and voicemail will keep your messages safe while you work.

Mistake #3: Delivering a portfolio in a format inconvenient for gallery review.

Often your portfolio is your only chance to show your work to a gallery owner. Poorly formatted portfolios are rarely viewed. Your portfolio should be concise, simple, informative and accessible.

25 years ago, formatting a portfolio was simple. A portfolio was either a literal portfolio with sheet protectors and photos, or a slide sheet.

The choices have since multiplied. CD? Digital hardbound photo-book? Pdf file? Email? Which format is the most effective? None of these, actually. Each has drawbacks limiting effectiveness. They are either too much work for the gallery owner to access, too easy to delete, or too hard for you to maintain.

In my book I will show an example of a perfect portfolio. Easy to maintain, easy to share. Successful.

A couple of things to keep in mind with your portfolio:

1. Your portfolio should contain no more than 20-25 of your most recent works. You should not create an all-inclusive portfolio. A gallery owner does not want to see your life's work. They want to see your best, most current, most relevant work.

2. On each page you should include pertinent, relevant information about the art. Include the title, the medium, the size, and the price. Don't include the date of artwork creation.

3. Place your bio, artist's statement, and resume at the back of the portfolio, not the beginning. Your artwork is the most important feature of the portfolio, don't bury it behind your info. Limit press clippings, and magazine articles to 2-3 pages.

4. Include 2-3 images of sold artwork. You should try to include at least one photo of your artwork installed. These images will establish your credibility more rapidly than any resume ever could.

In "Starving" to Successful I will teach you how to create a powerful portfolio. Your new portfolio will end up in gallery owner's hands, rather than in the garbage can.

Mistake #4: Lacking confidence and consistency in pricing.

One of the greatest challenges facing you as an artist is knowing how to correctly value your work. Many artists price their work emotionally, and inconsistently. Galleries can't sell wrongly priced art.

Worse, nothing will betray an unprepared artist like not knowing how to price his/her work.

Many artists mistakenly under-price their work. They do this because they feel they are not established. They do it because their local art market won't sustain higher prices. They do it because they lack confidence in their work.

In the book I will help you come up with a consistent, systematic formula for pricing your art.

Is your work priced correctly?

Mistake #5: Approaching the wrong galleries.

My gallery is located in an art market dominated by Southwest and Western subject matter. My gallery stands apart from most of the galleries in Arizona because I have chosen art outside the norms. Yet I am constantly contacted by Western and Southwestern artists. They seem surprised and hurt when I turn them away. They could have saved us both some discomfort by researching my gallery before approaching.

Which markets should you approach first? How should you research the galleries? Is it safe to work with galleries in out-of-state markets?

"Starving" to Successful will teach you how to create a list of qualified, appropriate galleries to contact (I will also teach you how to approach them).

Mistake #6: Submitting art through the wrong channels.

Conventional wisdom, and even some highly respected art marketing books will advise you to send your portfolio with a cover letter to the gallery. You may also hear it's best to call a gallery and try to make an appointment to meet the owner. You might visit a gallery's website to learn of their submission guidelines.

In my experience, these methods all guarantee failure. I will share with you a more direct, simpler approach; this approach will tremendously improve your chances of success. The approach is no secret, and yet most artists don't employ it.

Find the solutions to avoiding all these mistakes in the pages of "Starving" to Successful.

In addition to learning how to avoid the mistakes listed above,"Starving" Artist to Successful Artist you will also see clearly how to effectively organize your work, build your brand as an artist, communicate effectively with your galleries, and much more.

I will give you concrete steps you can take to systematically prepare for gallery relationships.

I am interested in your thoughts about these six mistakes, which I think are dead on target. As a gallerist I have encountered (and continue to see) all of them. I'm going to think about six separate mistakes of my own experience as a gallerist and art dealer in dealing with artists and post these here soon. Meanwhile, post your thoughts or experiences in the comments section or email them to me.

Tomorrow: Public Dialogue - Rebecca Rutstein

EVENT REMINDER. Public Dialogue: Rebecca Rutstein, March 2, 6 pm in the de la Cruz Gallery at Georgetown University.

Rebecca Rutstein, Shimmer, 11 x 64 x 4", powder coated steel, LED lights, motion sensors, 2018
Permanent Collection of the Georgia Museum of Art.

Multidisciplinary artist Rebecca Rutstein works at the intersection of art, science, and technology. For over twenty years she has created paintings, sculptures, interactive installations and public artworks inspired by the natural world. Her talk will explore the evolution of her work, her partnerships with scientists (including microbiologists, ecologists, geologists and molecular biologists) and the value and synergy of interdisciplinary exchange.

Co-sponsored with the Georgetown University Earth Commons. Reception to follow. The Maria & Alberto de la Cruz Art Gallery is located at 3535 Prospect St. NW Washington, DC 20007.

A gift to the woke mafia: Che Guevara

Dear members of the "woke" police and/or mafia...

If you wear, or have ever worn a Che Guevara T-Shirt (unless it is like the one on the left) then you are wearing or have worn the image of a man whose racist writing and actions and beliefs are full of negative, racist remarks about Mexicans and Blacks, and Native Americans. 

This man was a killing psychopath whose image has been re-invented over the decades so that in the past he's been viewed by a large, ignorant segment of the planet's population as some sort of positive icon - he was not.

By the way, "Comemierda" is an almost unique Cuban insult...

Wanna read some of the things this comemierda has written or said?

"The black is indolent and lazy, and spends his money on frivolities, whereas the European is forward-looking, organized, and intelligent."

                        -- Che Guevara 

"The black is indolent and a dreamer; spending his meager wage on frivolity or drink; the European has a tradition of work and saving, which has pursued him as far as this corner of America and drives him to advance himself, even independently of his own individual aspirations."  -- Che Guevara

"Mexicans are a band of illiterate Indians" -- Che Guevara

In an interview given to the London Daily Worker in 1962, Che Guevara said that "if the nuclear missiles had remained we would have used them against the very heart of America, including New York City... we will march the path of victory, even if it costs millions of atomic victims... we keep our hatred alive and fan it to paroxysm."

And this line after the Cuban Revolution in 1959: "We're going to do for blacks exactly what blacks did for the revolution. By which I mean: nothing."

“I don’t need proof to execute a man,” said Che during an interview published in a Cuban newspaper in 1959, “I only need proof that it is necessary to execute him.”

Che Guevara (like Fidel Castro) was sadistically anti-gay. He referred to gay people as "sexual perverts" and also helped to establish the first Cuban concentration camp in Guanahacabibes in 1960 - a camp for gay men. This brutal camp was the first of many that the Communists established in Cuba - with forced hard labor, and the first which focused on gay men. From the Nazis, Guevara also adapted the motto from Auschwitz, “Work sets you free,” changing it in Guanahacabibes to “Work will make you men.” 

Inform yourself - then hunt anyone and everyone who has ever worn a Che Guevara T-shirt or had a Che Guevara poster in their college room and out them and cancel them! 

You want the image of a real Cuban hero for your T-Shirt? How about Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet?

The husband-and-wife forgers who fooled the art market

Rather than forging existing paintings, Wolfgang produced hundreds of original works that skillfully imitated the styles of deceased European artists including Max Ernst, Fernand Léger, Kees van Dongen and André Derain. His wife Helene then sold them as previously undocumented works, sometimes for seven-figure sums. The pair claimed to have inherited their art collection from Helene's grandfather, who they said had acquired it from a Jewish gallerist fleeing Hitler's Germany.

Read the whole article here.

Wanna go to a museum opening on Thursday?

 This has the makings of one of the top photography shows of the year!

The OAS AMA | Art Museum of the Americas announces America’s Crossroads, an exhibition opening at the OAS F Street Gallery (1889 F Street, NW, Terrace Level) featuring six artists in a visual dialog. Carlos Bautista Avila (Mexico), Rene Campos Navarro (Mexico), Luis Delgado (United States-Mexico), Gisele Martins (Brazil), Cirenaica Moreira (Cuba), and Diana Ramirez Lopez (Mexico) provoke through their work mixed responses as they reflect, manipulate, rethink, and question on a local level who we are in the Americas. The people in the Americas share a common history that is manifested in local terms, becoming a conglomerate of different cultures of an ever-dynamic changing history of native Americans, settlers, and migrants.

La Industrial, lavandería Habana de la serie Metálica, 1998-1999
Cirenaica Moreira

Exhibition Opening: Thursday, February 23 4:30-6:30pm

HOURS: By appointment only, Monday-Friday 10AM-5PM

LOCATION

OAS General Secretariat Building, Terrace Level

1889 F Street NW

Washington, DC 20006

ADMISSION: Free

Conned in dealer’s $1.6m art fraud scheme

In October, Wendy Halsted Beard from Wendy Halsted Gallery in Birmingham, a suburb of Detroit, was charged with wire and mail fraud after investigators said she took consignments from victims who either never had their artwork returned, never received proceeds from any sales, or both. Beard is also accused of selling works and not delivering the art after receiving payment.

Read the article here.

Assholes of the Month

Since I'm in a rare mood this week, I want to award a special "Assholes of the Month" to the six members of the  Loudoun County School Board, which "on Tuesday voted not to release an independent report into how the school division handled the sexual assault of two students at different high schools in 2021. The assaults spurred a special grand jury investigation that resulted in criminal charges against the division superintendent and public information officer."

The six asswipes (out of 9 members) who voted against releasing the details of the investigation, clearly do not cappish that the board represents the interests of the parents and then the "other side."  May the bluebird of happiness shit on their birthday cakes for the rest of their lives.

Details here.

Asshole of Super Bowl week

New York Congressperson Alexandra Ocasio Cortez gets the nod this week as I finally understand what "AOC" means = "Antipatica O Comemierda" as she blasts religious ads in Superbowl.

Call for Artists for Dulaney Plaza Mural

For more than 60 years Dulaney Plaza has been a cornerstone of the Towson community, serving the needs of residents, visitors and students. The Plaza began as a single family-owned retail store selling automotive parts, and over the years has flourished into the mixed-use hub it is today - with four generations (and counting) of that same family as a part of the management team, guiding the development and expansion of the center. Now the Plaza is a community of over 30 office tenants, a vibrant marketplace for food, attire, and daily life. 828 Dulaney Valley Road is an integral part of the Towson ecosystem, adapting to the ever changing tastes and trends of those who rely on the Plaza for every-day goods, a quick bite, or change of fashion.

TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET: Current project budget is $10,000, but may be negotiated after selection.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Dulaney Valley Plaza is inviting artists to submit proposals for a public mural. Wall space is 73’ by 9’4 ½” vertical (687.37 SQF), located on Dulaney Valley Road. Each concept must take into consideration these dimensions once scaled. The mural does not necessarily have to cover the entire available space and may only occupy a portion of the available space depending on artist vision and budgetary restrictions.

The Dulaney Plaza branded logo must feature into the mural in a notable capacity, but incorporation and presentation is left to artist discretion. Otherwise themes, imagery, and composition are also left to artist discretion but depictions/representations of local (Maryland/Baltimore County) flora and fauna, landmarks, history and tenant businesses of the plaza (barring the usage of branded logos) are preferred.

DEADLINE: Deadline for submissions is April 7th 2023.

APPLICATIONS: Mail applications to: Lauryn Lukin 828 Dulaney Valley Road Suite 5 Towson, MD 21204. Digital proposals to lauryn@taubprop.com. Proposals may also be hand delivered to [Lauryn Lukin 828 Dulaney Valley Road Suite 5 Towson, MD 21204]. All formats will be accepted. Included in the application and sent work should be an artist bio and artist statement alongside the applicant's name and address.

SELECTION CRITERIA: Maryland based and artists originating from Maryland are welcome; however, there are no other limiting factors, all skill levels and backgrounds are welcome. Selection will be performed by a juried panel.

Mac Stacks

A nice preview of the work by Jennifer Kahn Barlow that Alida Anderson Art Projects will be bringing next month to the Affordable Art Fair in New York City!

Dusted in the Middle by Jennifer Kahn Barlow

Intense Mac Stack by Jennifer Kahn Barlow

Mild Mac Stack by Jennifer Kahn Barlow

Patriotic Mac Stack by Jennifer Kahn Barlow

America's Crossroads: Six Contemporary Photographers in Dialog

This has the makings of one of the top photography shows of the year!

The OAS AMA | Art Museum of the Americas announces America’s Crossroads, an exhibition opening at the OAS F Street Gallery (1889 F Street, NW, Terrace Level) featuring six artists in a visual dialog. Carlos Bautista Avila (Mexico), Rene Campos Navarro (Mexico), Luis Delgado (United States-Mexico), Gisele Martins (Brazil), Cirenaica Moreira (Cuba), and Diana Ramirez Lopez (Mexico) provoke through their work mixed responses as they reflect, manipulate, rethink, and question on a local level who we are in the Americas. The people in the Americas share a common history that is manifested in local terms, becoming a conglomerate of different cultures of an ever-dynamic changing history of native Americans, settlers, and migrants.

La Industrial, lavandería Habana de la serie Metálica, 1998-1999
Cirenaica Moreira

Exhibition Opening: Thursday, February 23 4:30-6:30pm

HOURS: By appointment only, Monday-Friday 10AM-5PM

LOCATION

OAS General Secretariat Building, Terrace Level

1889 F Street NW

Washington, DC 20006

ADMISSION: Free

The Last Unicorn

Between 1977-1981 I sold all my art school assignments from the University of Washington School of Art in Seattle at the Pike Place Market.  In 1979 a classmate's mother was printing a private illustrated edition of Peter Beagle's "The Last Unicorn" and hired me and several other artists to do some illustrations for the lavishly illustrated book.

I did several pieces for the book, and then had prints made from the originals and sold them at the Market.  Nearly 500 pieces of the below work sold between 1979-1981.  Sometime in 1991, when I was living in Sonoma, California, where I was the Executive Officer of the Navy base at Skaggs Island, I sold the original mixed media painting.

Today I got an email from someone in the Pacific Northwest who found it in a store up there and is now the surprised owner of a 44 year-old legend!

THE LAST UNICORN by F. Lennox Campello circa 1979

Isla Golpeada

 

Pobre Cuba - Isla Golpeada
Acrylic on hand-made paper with embedded leaf and wood branches
circa 1980 by Florencio Lennox Campello

A modern classic

This official US Navy photo of sailors pulling up the wreckage of the PRC spy balloon reminds me sooooo much of the classical painting "The raft of the Medusa" by Géricault.

 U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tyler Thompson

The Curious Case of the Celia Cruz American Quarter and being labeled Afro-Latina

About 24 hours ago the US Mint announced that Celia Cruz, the Cuban-born "Queen of Salsa" had been chosen to be one of the five women whose face will be in the 2024 edition of their American Women Quarters Program.

The news outlets and Al Gore's internets went crazy dubbing this as "Queen of salsa Celia Cruz will be the first Afro Latina to appear on a U.S. quarter" proclaimed NPR and all others.

And Cuban Twitter and Cuban Facebook went nuts that she's been referred to as an "Afro Latina" and not just as a "Cuban" or "Cuban-American."

It is very clear that the Cuban social media opinions were angry about the fact that in nearly every instance Celia was being identified and labeled as a "Afro-Latina" first and in the article's headlines, and Cuban in the text... and the Internets blew up!

Teresita Fernando wrote: Stop adding adjectives to her birthplace She was CUBAN She is CUBA Period

Hilda Suarez opined: She was not an Afro-Latina, get your information straight and make the quarter with another person and leave Celia's memories with her people, THE CUBANS, and maybe someday, not too far from know, we could have her picture on a Cuban coin. Thank you.

Alina Vals says: Not Afro Latina.  She is Cuban American. We do not accept those "woke" terms.  At the end of the day we all belong to the HUMAN race.

Mayra de Armas notes: Afro Latina? NO, Celia Cruz is Cuban American, her race is black but she is not Afro, She is 100% Cuban, period.

Suzanne Bruno adds: Outstanding!!! But NOT afro Latina....100% Cuban.

Raul Gomez is angry: She's Cuban, stop putting your woke bullshit labels on her!

Jorge Ravelo says: Afro-Latina?  As one who followed her for three decades and met the Queen and Pedro Knight on several occasions she would be insulted. She was as Cuban as the Royal Palms, a Cuban with African and Spanish heritage.

Mara Salis: She is NOT afro Latina she is CUBANA!!!