The curious case of John Leguizamo, Fidel Castro, and Latino Horror Vacui in Hollywood

John Leguizamo, the talented Colombian-born actor who once erred about his own ancestry by claiming that he was Puerto Rican on his father's side (I wonder how his Colombian dad feels about that) and once even carried the charade as the Puerto Rican Day Parade Global Ambassador of the Arts, has an issue with the casting of the upcoming Indie film “Alina of Cuba.”

Specifically with the casting of actor James Franco to play the murderous Cuban dictator Fidel Castro Ruz. The not Puerto Rican actor writes in Instagram:

“How is Hollywood excluding us but stealing our narratives as well?” “No more appropriation Hollywood and streamers! Boycott! This F’d up! Plus seriously difficult story to tell without aggrandizement which would b wrong!” “I don’t got a prob with Franco but he ain’t Latino!” 

The "boycott" was quickly joined in by such luminaries as Nicaraguan-American political strategist and commentator Ana Navarro, and the casting made fun of by Carolina A. Miranda, a really good and influential Wyoming-born Los Angeles Times art critic.

Have not heard of anyone of Cuban ancestry complaining... cough... cough...

Background:

Fidel Castro Ruz, known to many Cubans as "La Bestia de Biran", was born in 1926 out of wedlock in Biran, Cuba. He was the son of Ángel Castro y Argiz, an immigrant to Cuba from Galicia, the former ancient Celtic kingdom in the north of Spain, and Lina Ruz González, his Cuban-born maid who was the daughter of immigrants from Spain. 

That's Castro's father to the right and his mother to the left below.

Fun fact: A lot of Galicians left their rugged mountain villages in northern Spain and settled in Cuba in the early 1900s (including both my paternal grandparents). 

So many in fact, that Cubans routinely refer to all Spaniards, regardless of which region of Spain they come from (Andalucia, Castille, Catalonia, etc.) as "gallegos", which I suspect pisses off most non-Galician Spaniards.  

In my experience, Galicians are a very clannish people, have their own language, customs, etc. and in Cuba even their own community centers, separate from others. In Guantanamo, for example, there used to be a Centro Español and a separate Centro Gallego.

Fidel Castro as a child with his two of his four siblings

Back to the tempest of Franco being cast to play Castro in the film and not being of Latino ancestry, however widely and confusing that classification is.

Part of me understands that Leguizamo means well, but as often happens when one is too passionate about a debatable issue, he mixes apples mangoes and oranges when making this argument.  Passion is an unforgivable mistress - witness my own conversion when I complained about a Spaniard (Javier Bardem) being cast to play a Santiaguero (Desi Arnaz) - for all the non-Cubans who have jumped into this Franco boycott: A Santiaguero is someone from Santiago de Cuba, which is where Arnaz's family was from.

But distilled to the simplest fact:

• Latinos don't get enough roles in Hollywood films
• THEREFORE
• ALL, repeat, ALL roles where the subject is Latino, must be cast to a Latino/a actor
• HOWEVER
• Latino/a actors must also be eligible to be cast to play any and other roles regardless of the racial or ethnic background of the role

A great example of the last rule is the recent (and great) casting of Cuban-born actress Ana de Armas to play American icon Marilyn Monroe - as far as I know, neither Leguizamo, or Miranda, or Navarro bitched about that.

Are Leguizamo, Navarro, and Miranda hypocrites? Maybe, but I don't think so.  What I think they are, is a combination of passionate dogma plus misguided (maybe misfired) good intentions... the alleged Leguizamo trying to pass for a boricua episode bothers me -- sort of like when H.G. Carrillo spent years passing as a Cuban.

Here are better Campello rules to achieve the same goal:

• Latinos don't get enough roles in Hollywood films
• THEREFORE
• Hollywood casting must be sensitive that Latino/a actors come from every racial and ethnic background and must be eligible to be cast to play any and all roles regardless of the racial or ethnic background of the role AND should make an effort to increase Latino/a casting.
• HOWEVER
• The casting should go to the best actor for the role.

In this particular case, some points which destroy the Leguizamo effect:

• Alina Fernandez Revuelta, Castro's illegitimate daughter and the subject of the film endorses and likes the casting of Franco to play her father - technically that should be the end of the fucking argument!
• She is also proud that “the project is almost entirely Latino, both in front and behind the camera.” The clueless boycotters should be applauding this film!
• I am shocked as to how much Franco looks like Castro! The only other man who looks more like Castro on this planet is Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau! Cough... cough...

Almost done... now for my own complaining: 

I am having a hard time swallowing an Argentinean actress (Mia Maestro) playing a Cuban woman (she plays Naty Revuelta Clews - Alina's mom - that's Naty to the left).

And Ana Villafañe (she plays Alina): I'm keeping my eye on you! You're only half Cuban! Cough... cough...

Campello out.

Toxic seeds

I hope that the future can handle the seeds planted by the Justice Department in Mar-a-Lago today.

Paid opportunity for artists: revising the Independent Artist Award program

Paid opportunity for artists: revising the Independent Artist Award program.

Deadline: Friday, November 11, 2022

This fall, MSAC is facilitating a public-led revision of the Independent Artist Award (IAA) program, which has recognized achievement by Maryland artists making work independent of institutions or organizations. This revision effort is based on data collected since 2020 from applicants, panelists, and award winners, who have made suggestions on how to improve the IAA program’s service to the public. The next step of this process is to identify a panel of editors who will work with MSAC staff to further refine the suggestions into clear policy recommendations, which will be carefully considered as MSAC further develops the IAA program.

Consider completing an application to serve as an editor in this process. All selected editors will be expected to:

• Become familiar with previously collected data and current MSAC efforts to support artists through the IAA program.
• Work with MSAC staff to consider how to improve the service of the IAA program to Maryland artists in light of other MSAC opportunities, including the Grants for Artists program, set to pilot in winter 2023.
• Participate in at least two virtual meetings discussing the above issues and developing procedure and policy recommendations for further consideration by MSAC staff, council, and Department of Commerce leadership.

What they are looking for:

Maryland artists with backgrounds in a variety of disciplines (e.g., literary, performing, visual, media, and traditional arts, etc.), or who are interested in learning how changes are considered and implemented within MSAC.

IAA winners, applicants, and panelists from the past three years are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to apply:

Click here to log in or create a free account in SmartSimple. You must be registered as an “Independent Artist” to apply to be an editor. 

Under Funding Opportunities, select "Public Call."

Select "Program Editor" from the first drop down option. 

Select “Independent Artist Awards” as the Grant Program from the second drop down option.

Click "Save Draft" at the bottom to populate the application.

Complete the application and click “Submit.”

Editors will receive a minimum of $400 upon completion of assigned tasks, with the possibility of additional compensation if more than two virtual meetings are needed.

This morning: Art Clinic Online

On Saturday, August 6, 10:30 - 11:30am, the ACO hosts DC Digital Printer, Ric Garcia

Art Clinic Online

ZOOM Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84149389951?pwd=QkNqUU1ZMFJ5SXpSU1dFOVFTeXZZZz09

I'm  happy to announce that today's Art Clinic Online meeting is with artist Ric Garcia. 

Ric is a painter and digital printmaker with work that builds on the tradition of pop art and is infused with references to various cultures in America. These references are "a meditation about identity rather than a cultural primer." Ric’s perennial favorite is Latino culture and its consumer branded products.  

Art Clinic Online: Ric Garcia

On Saturday, August 6, 10:30 - 11:30am, the ACO hosts DC Digital Printer, Ric Garcia

Art Clinic Online

ZOOM Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84149389951?pwd=QkNqUU1ZMFJ5SXpSU1dFOVFTeXZZZz09

I'm  happy to announce that the next Art Clinic Online meeting is August 6 with artist Ric Garcia. 

Ric is a painter and digital printmaker with work that builds on the tradition of pop art and is infused with references to various cultures in America. These references are "a meditation about identity rather than a cultural primer." Ric’s perennial favorite is Latino culture and its consumer branded products.  

On Saturday, August 6th, 2022, we will welcome Ric Garcia, a well known artist whose work you may have seen in the past, either at the Stone Tower Gallery, and Popcorn gallery, among other locations. Some of his work can also be seen on his website at http://ricgarciastudio.com/ He will tell us about his process of making art and about his career and what inspires him. And there will be time for Q & A so it should be fun! Join us!

A little more about Ric here.

Ric Garcia works and exhibits in the DC metro area. He is a painter and digital printmaker. His work builds on the traditions of pop art and is infused with references to various cultures in America. These references are a meditation about identity rather than a cultural primer. Garcia’s perennial favorite is Latino culture and its consumer branded products.

Garcia thinks of his depictions of these everyday products as still lives, commenting that “ultimately the work is less about representing the product and more about eliciting emotional reactions, introspective questions and celebrating Latino culture.” The cans and packages in his work are based on real products, but the slogans and illustrations on the labels are re-imagined in ways that express and comment on his bi-cultural experiences as a Cuban-American.

His art and work process has been featured in online articles at Artists & Makers Studios and East City Arts. Garcia’s art is in many private and public collections. Most recently his work has been added to the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Art Bank collection and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Division of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Prince George’s County, Maryland collection

We look forward to hosting everyone on August 6th and beyond! We have a nice line up of upcoming interviews and topic discussions in the next ACO meetings this month and next. After Ric, Jordan and I will conduct a discussion on papers and substrates for drawing with all kinds of tools. More information on this to come. 

And if you can, don’t forget that the ACO needs your help with donations (small or big ones are all welcome, any amount you can spare) so we can pay a small honorarium to professionals whom we invite for interviews and/or demonstrations. Many thanks in advance for your kindness and generosity!

On Saturday, August 6th, at 10:30am

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84149389951?pwd=QkNqUU1ZMFJ5SXpSU1dFOVFTeXZZZz09

Cuban Food?

 

Alberto Gaitán

I am sad to pass that my good friend Alberto Gaitán has moved on... here he is with Victoria F. Gaitán at the book party for my 2011 book hosted by Leigh Conner at her iconic gallery. 

Photo by the talented Rebecca D'Angelo.

 Alberto leaves a gigantic artistic footprint behind... more later.

When Che Guevara almost got me whooped!

Read this cool 2011 piece by Maura Judkis on how an irate Cuban once threatened to kick my butt in Miami during Art Basel week - by the way, that piece is now in the permanent collection of the University of Oregon!

Read it here.

Teresa Jade Jarzynski at Artists & Makers Studios

Artists & Makers Studios welcomes Teresa Jarzynski back for her solo “Strange & Beautiful” with Resident Artist exhibit “Real or Imaginary”, and the talented Member Artists of Gallery 209.

Artists & Makers Studios on Parklawn Drive in Rockville hosts the work of Teresa Jarzynski in her latest solo exhibit “Strange and Beautiful”, the Resident Artists’ “Real or Imaginary” exhibit - along with new work in Gallery 209 and building-wide Open Studios. The August 6th opening will run from 11am – 3pm. Fantasy, skewed perspective and other elements of imagination interweave with impressionistic applications of recognizable subjects. Some more strange, some more beautiful, but every piece contains a bit of both for the viewer to take in. By focusing on flowers, inanimate objects, and people from various encounters in life, Teresa challenged herself to transform the ordinary into something more extraordinary. Although each painting initially stems from direct observation, the act of painting turns each reality into an imagined place, no longer restricted by traditional ideas. The Resident Artists will fill the beautiful Gallery Hall with “Real or Imaginary”, and the Artists of Gallery 209 will feature new work in the large Gallery and adjoining halls for visitors to discover.

Opening Reception

11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Saturday, August 6th, 2022

“Strange and Beautiful” Artist Talk, 1:00 PM, August 20th, 2022

Artists & Makers Studios

11810 Parklawn Drive, Suite 210

Rockville, MD 20852

Exhibits will run from August 3rd through August 24th. Viewing hours are 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday-Saturday, and Sundays by chance or appointment. Masks firmly covering nose and mouth are required in the building.

Printmakers

 Printmakers -- true hardcore printmakers, not the kind that takes their drawing or watercolor to a digital wizard and says "Hey buddy, give me a 1000 of these in a poster size." But the kind that likes the smell of acid as it burns and etches their metal sheets; the ones that roll thick black ink onto etched plates, and lose track of where the cheesecloth is, and the ones that really know what a "ghost print" is - that kind of printmaker represent some of the least appreciated artists in any genre of the visual arts today.

The word "print" has been kidnapped by marketers and watercolorists and photographers and every kind of visual artist on the planet wanting to sell more than one of their original. 

But remember this: anything that is in a media that is different from the original piece is a reproduction - not a print. A true print is something created by an artist from beginning to end: a woodcut, a linocut, a lithograph, an intaglio etching, etc.!

One of the best places in the nation to find great real artists' prints is here in the Washington area DMV at the aptly named Washington Printmakers Gallery. 

A 20 year old idea which is still hot!

Twenty years ago I proposed the below idea to kindle our Greater region's visual art scene -- the Universities have (so far) all ignored the idea (P.S. - note the quaint use of "slides" :-):

Merry Xmas!

As promised, the first one of ten steps (in no particular order or ranking) to kindle the District/Maryland/Virginia (DMV) art "buzz" into a roar:

Number 10

The Universities

There are several important, major universities in and around the DMV area. In most cases each is working, as most universities do, their own, individual visual arts exhibition program, which is normally mix of exhibitions by their students, faculty and invited artists.

Almost without exception there is very little coordination between the different venues, which in some cases boast some of the nicest exhibition spaces in town. This is not unusual, as I imagine that in most cities this is also the same case, as the focus of the university gallery is in fact the university.

And here is where we can make a major change, and use the extraordinary resources afforded to our area by these venues, and their academic standing, to help Washington expand its worldwide visual art standing.

What we need to happen is for one of the local university art school chairs, or college deans, or even university gallery directors, to take the initiative to start coordinating a joint effort to create one annual combined, joint exhibition that synchronizes a focused exhibition that is spread throughout the Greater Washington area.

Imagine a national survey of art, with a good title and perhaps even a good, donated chunk of money as a prize. Say we call it “The Capital Art Prize” (OK, OK we’ll have to work on the title) and because good ideas sometimes attract funding, maybe we can convince a major local company like Lockheed Martin or AOL or Booze Allen and Hamilton, or (be still my beating heart), The Washington Post, to help fund it on an annual basis.

This synchronized event can be modeled somewhat on what the Whitney does, but better. The Whitney Biennial’s Achilles heel is its over-reliance on hired curators. Unless an artist lives and works in NYC, LA or SF or is already in the local radar of one of the curators for that particular year, chances are slim to none that the artist will come to the attention of those Biennial curators. Hence great art and potentially great artists may be ignored.

In addition to the use of invited curators, also imagine that this event puts forth a national call for artists, independent and museum curators, schools, art organizations and galleries to submit works for consideration. Send us your slides, CD ROMS and photographs (and a self addressed, stamped envelope for their return).

Anyone can submit and in a fair selection process, since art is truly in the eyes (and agenda) of the beholder, anyone can be selected to exhibit. A truly American concept for a national American art survey that will leave the Whitney and other continental Biennials in the dust.

And because the exhibition venues are spread around the capital area region, in galleries at Georgetown, George Mason, George Washington, American, Catholic, Howard, University of Maryland, Montgomery Community College, Northern Virginia Community College, and the many others I am sure to be forgetting momentarily, we could put up one of the largest, most diverse, and influential American art surveys in the nation.

This will take a lot of work to set up initially, as one key university person needs to take the lead and emerge from the pack of largely unknown, anonymous group of academics currently running our area’s university art programs. On the other hand, this could be an exhibition that can and will put names and faces on the international art world map, much like the Whitney Biennial sometimes elevates its curators a notch above the rest

Some universities will resist, as the easiest thing to do is to do things as they have always been done, and not really create “new” work. But given that a strong leader among our academic community emerges and takes the lead for this idea, then even if we start with a set of four or five venues, in a joint, coordinated effort, others will follow.

This will not be an easy job to do, and as it grows, so will the burocracy around it. But starting it up will be the hardest part, and as momentum grows, things will become easier. Whoever, if anyone, takes this idea and runs with it, will face many huge obstacles and many negative people. He or she will need to convince other university/college gallery directors to participate. They in turn, will have to convince their superiors, who will, in turn have to approve (and perhaps help kick-start the funding) the joint project.

This leader will also have to coordinate the approach to get a local giant to fund this effort, but I suspect that once he has aligned a few colleges and universities, this may become easier (it’s never easy) as the “buzz” and need for the event develops.

This is all a lot of work, and initially, until a burocracy is established around the annual event, many, many volunteers will be needed. I hope that some of these can be drawn from the school’s student body, alumni who are artists, and other local artists, much like Art-O-Matic draws from the collective muscle of our area’s significant artist population.

Our area universities and colleges already have significant media resources at their disposal, to help spread the word. They run school newspapers, radio stations, etc. and also provide a constant flow of new blood to our major mainstream media.

The goal (or perhaps “the dream”) would be a national level survey of art, which may look, review and/or jury the work of maybe 50,000 artists around the nation, and select perhaps 100 each year, showcase their work around a dozen academic galleries, and award a $100,000 cash award as the Capital Art Prize, plus various other awards (Emerging Artist, Young Artist, etc.). Art of a nature and scale that will attract visitors to the university galleries, attention to our area, piss some people off, excite others, create interest, discussion and buzz around Washington and our art scene.

There’s nothing more empowering than an idea whose time has come.

A guerrilla technique for saving money on framing costs

First and foremost: Prepare! Do not leave your framing to the very last minute. Having said that, I know that most of you will leave the framing to the last minute and, then panic, as this is part of the average artist DNA. You will then go to your neighborhood framing shop, and drop way too much money to get custom frames made for your artwork. If you can afford it, and the price history of you artwork can sustain it – then skip this article. But if you want to save a lot of money on framing, then prepare

Read the whole article here.

The Paint the Town Labor Day Show

I will be the judge for this year’s "Paint the Town" Labor Day Show sponsored by the Montgomery Art Association

The Paint the Town Labor Day Show is one of the region’s largest and longest-running art shows composed of all local artists. The show will be open to the public Saturday-Monday, September 3-5, and I will do both the closed-door judging and then and on Saturday, September 3, I will also judge the plein air competition and then present the awards. 

About the Plein Air Competition: As you walk around Kensington on the Saturday of the show weekend, you'll see dozens of artists painting and drawing all over town. Those are participants of the annual Plein Air Competition. From 7 am-3 pm, adults and children complete paintings with a Kensington theme and submit them for prizes awarded by me. The competition is open to all adults and children. Free for children under 18 and current MAA members; adults pay $10 per person. Registration opens July 15.

Details here.

Schedule 

FRIDAY, JULY 15: Call for entries opens (members only)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3: Exhibit floor open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Plein air art competition, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. -- Awards ceremony, 6-8 p.m.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4: Exhibit floor open, 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5: Exhibit floor open, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Pick up purchased artwork, 5:00-8:00 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6: Pick up purchased artwork, 9-11 a.m. 

Montgomery Art Association’s annual Paint the Town Labor Day Show

I am honored to serve as 2022 judge of one of the region’s largest and longest-running art shows over Labor Day Weekend: the Montgomery Art Association’s annual Paint the Town Labor Day Show at the Historic Armory in Kensington, Maryland

I will review more than 500 works in seven categories at the Montgomery Art Association’s annual Paint the Town Labor Day Show at the Historic Armory in Kensington, Maryland. I also will judge the one-day Kensington plein air painting competition and will present prizes at the September 3 reception.

The annual art show runs for three days—September 3-5—and features hundreds of pieces of artwork by member artists. Original paintings, drawings, sculptures, and photography—plus prints and notecards—will all be for sale. A portion of proceeds goes in support of MAA’s educational mission.

The show is accepting entries from artists 18 years or older in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. MAA annual membership is required to participate. In addition to the main show, MAA will host its annual plein air competition. Members, plus adults and children from the community, are invited to participate and have up to eight hours to complete a work within the boundaries of Kensington. Free for children and members, and $10 for non-member adults.

About MAA: The Montgomery Art Association (MAA) is a Maryland-based nonprofit membership group supporting the visual arts and artists in the DC area. A portion of sales goes to support our educational mission, including providing scholarships to art students. Learn more.

About the Show: The annual three-day Paint the Town Labor Day Show will take place at the Kensington Historic Armory, 3710 Mitchell St., Kensington, MD, September 3-5. The event is free and open to the public. The Town of Kensington is a proud sponsor.

Register here.

The Coronavirulization of the art world

Covidian? …Covidism? …Covidnineteenism?…Coronaism?

A couple of months ago I wrote about some help lines for artists as the Coronavirulization of the art world, another victim of the planetary infection in what I now call The Covidian Age, was in full attack...

... Leave it to artists to actually do something positive not only with these two political interpretations of a disease, but also with a myriad of interpretations of the Covidian Age and Covidism – and I suspect that a millennia from now, when perhaps even more dark events have been survived by the human race, it is the First Covidian Age artwork which will truly tell the story and mark the crowning spot (pun intended) of the Coronavirulization of art.

Read the whole article here.

What shows up on Ebay

 

Skies above the Montrose Links, Scotland
1990 Watercolor on paper by F. Lennox Campello

This 1990 watercolor - done while I lived in Scotland is currently up on Ebay for a steal! See it here

When you get grease on paper

Master iguana-eaters perfect their eating craft while carrying one of those giant buckets of popcorn (at the movies) in one hand, and a giant soft drink in the other. No one can resist waiting to be seated to start on the popcorn, and so many of us iguana the popcorn enroute to our seat… the head dips, the mouth opens and popcorn is iguana into the gullet.

As a master iguana-style-eater, I decided to grab another piece of steak, and then head upstairs for the utensils…. my head dipped down into the plate… black charcoaly hands spread out for balance.

I iguana’d the steak bite, raised my neck, and a smaller piece of meat, which had been barely attached to the larger piece in my mouth, went flying… and landed squarely on the middle of the drawing.

Read the whole 2017 article here.

My picks for the current Art League show

An easy way to spend most of a summer rainy afternoon (and there are plenty of hem coming!) is a visit to the Torpedo Factory, host to many art studios and some key galleries. While you’re there, go check out the current Open Exhibit, juried by artist Jessie Boyland.

If you’re a constant reader of this blog, then you know what comes next: The Campello awards!

Are you ready for a shock? I believe that for the first time since I’ve been messing around with re-jurying other jurors’ shows and awards (first time was around 1981), this is the FIRST time that I’ve agreed with the Best of Show!

Wendy Donahoe’s “Traveler”, a spectacular charcoal and carbon pencil drawing, is not only a superbly crafted technical masterpiece, but also a work that does something that a master like Donahoe does so simply: in this case capture the psychologic presence of the subject.  She nails it and do not be fooled by the simplicity of my words in describing her accomplishment with this piece. These are finely tuned and trained artistic muscles which Donahoe flexes so easily in this work and which are in reality impossibly difficult to deliver.

I also quite liked some of the Honorable Mentions, especially “Transposition” by Susan O'Neill, an elegant figure study employing charcoal, red chalk, and mixed media on paper.

Personally I would have given an award to “Art Lovers 1 - Picasso - Le Gourmet 0” by Leni Gurin, a very elegant Acrylic and a take off on the great Spanish master.  That painting is the steal of the show! At 14 × 78 × 11 inches, the cool painting by Leni Gurin is a steal at $900! Go buy it!

Traveler by Wendy Donahoe

Transposition by Susan O'Neill

"Art Lovers 1 - Picasso - Le Gourmet 0" by Leni Gurin

I keep giving this advice out...

This month this column is just going to re-address some thoughts about our DMV area non-profits – an idea which I’ve been venting on about for years

The Art League in Alexandria is not only one of our area’s largest artists’ organization, with over 1,200 members, but also a jewel in our area’s art presence. The Art League also operates a school with over 2500 students per term and a supply store for the purchase of art supplies by students and members.

Read what my idea is here.

Death on Tik Tok

The arrival of Death will be on Tik Tok
2022 watercolor by Florencio Lennox Campello