Sat Dec 19: “Oh My Guad” at Fachaptolo Gallery, Boyle Heights,

The Boyle Heights art scene is boiling hot right now, and Fachaptolo Gallery, one of the locally owned-and-operated galleries, will be the site of a very community-centric exhibition, “Oh My Guad” which explores the complexities and layers of the Virgin of Guadalupe, presented in conjunction with Cold Fire Art Company, an East LA art curation and transportation company.

Our Lady of Guadalupe holds a magical place in the hearts and spirits of the people of the Americas. Known in pre-Conquest times as goddess of love and fertility, Tonantzin (in Nahuatl “Our Revered Mother”) and Coatlícue (“The Serpent Skirt”), Our Lady of Guadalupe is a unifying symbol throughout Mexico and the Southland, a symbol of pride and strength. The banner of the Virgin of Guadalupe was carried into battle during the Mexican revolution and has been prayed to for centuries for protection. You can see her image tattooed on backs and arms, perched on dashboards, hanging on walls.

Artists (full disclosure, I’ve got a piece in the show) will present contemporary, at times irreverent or even blasphemous, takes on the Virgin and her place as a symbol of Mexico, as a symbol of Los Angeles, as a protector of the poor, and as a place of refuge.

Groove to the sounds of DJ Rocksteady, VanArt and NuNu as your vision is altered by shimmering images of Guadelupe reimagined, restored, venerated and vindicated by the likes of:

Ed Gutter, Ankore “Encore”, Matthew Alcolicol, Aloy MSK, Nerv, Pryer SKA, Vargas Arte, Juan “Naper” Teyer, Kast, D.A. Design, KalmLost Angel 37, Lisa Derrick, Spine One, Cazm One, Paint N’ Hope, Dan Gross, Ape, Benji Escobar, Flikazo, Albert Vitela, Antonio Mejia, Monkey, Buser, Brus, Tyson Pedroza, SID, Aila, Krown187, Nez, Phowl SKA, Muzik, Casiano Art, Septerhed – Sept TCF1, Ulises Vazquez