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Alejandra Higuera is a multidisciplinary, visual storyteller working in video, animation, projection, illustration, and recently embroidery. Her work focuses on themes of migration, feminism, memory, grief, ritual by centering the intricate stories of immigrant, queer and BIPOC resilience and exploring how healing leads us to re-imaging ourselves. She is committed to creating spaces for dialogue about the complexities of our experiences and that celebrate our differences.
As a Latinx artist, Alejandra supports our ever-changing identities, resisting homogenization through a decolonizing lens. |
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Carmen Reyes, born in Santiago-Chile. Grew up in Mexico City and moved to Canada in the late 80's. As a graphic designer everything is always planned, structured, logical, measured and must have a specific purpose. Painting these flowers with no rules or logic is what I needed at this time. The forms, line movement and harmony of colours in this piece represent peaceful and delicate moments that I yearn in these confusing times.
Como diseñadora gráfica todo siempre debe ser planeado, estructurado, lógico, medido o debe tener un propósito específico. Pintar estas flores sin reglas ni lógica es lo me permite expresar mi creatividad y retroalimentar mi trabajo profesional. El trabajo de línea, el movimiento y la armonia de colores en esta pieza representan momentos pacíficos y delicados que anhelo en estos tiempos confusos. |
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Graciela Mantero, nació en Uruguay, Montevideo.
Reside en Canadá desde 1978, en la ciudad de Toronto. Pocos años atrás comenzó a tomar cursos en la Universidad de Toronto, y de pintura en Casa Maíz, con la artista Tania Iraheta. “Su meta no es ser una gran poeta, se conforma sólo con tocar algún corazón solidario, que pueda beber las palabras y las convierta en emociones”. |
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Title of Work: Siwat Piedra
Description of Work: The body as motherland, nurturer and holder of memory. This work is a branch of a research rooted in Nawat territory in Kuskatan and the process of reclaiming my relationship to land and my matriarchal historic memory, I dive into the environmental, and personal narratives of El Salvador, and my home in San Jacinto. Bio: Irma Villafuerte is a dance artist, emerging choreographer and educator based in Tkaronto from Nahuat Territory Kuskatan, post-colonial El Salvador. She serves as an educator at Randolph College for the Performing Arts, Toronto Film School, and Casa Maiz’ Semillas Latinas. She’s been part of festivals across the Americas and the Caribbean and has collaborated and performed works by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, Jaberi Dance Theatre, Kaeja d’Dance, Victoria Mata, Aria Evans, Alejandro Ronceria, and Arsenio Andrade. Her passion for social justice and her identity as a Salvadorian in the diaspora is the driving force for creation in Irma’s choreography, performance work and pedagogy. |
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Title of Work: "La Petenera" Huasteca Hidalguense
Description of Work: Huapango is a type of Mexican folk dance and music, part of the traditional Mexican musical style son huasteco, which originated in northeastern Mexico. Son huasteco dates from the end of the 19th century and is influenced by Spanish and indigenous cultures. It is usually played by a trio huasteco composed of a guitarra quinta huapanguera (a five-course, eight-string guitar-like instrument) a Jarana huasteca (a string instrument related to the jarana), and a violin. Singers will often use the falsetto register. La Huasteca is a geographical and cultural region located partially along the Gulf of Mexico and including parts of the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro the dance style we are presenting is the Hidalgo style Bio: The Tonatiuh Dance Group is under the direction of Luz Adriana Castillo. Graduated from the National School of Mexican Folk Dance of Mexico City. Dedicated to the promotion and diffusion of Mexican folklore for more than 20 years. The Group has member’s dancers of all ages from 4 to 50+, all levels in dance beginners, inter-medium and advance, with the goal to spread the Mexican Culture and traditions through dance, especially to influence the kids that born in Canada to know more about their roots and feel proud about been Mexicans decedents and continue with this project for the future generations. Dancers for this event Luz maria Vargas y Luz Adriana Castillo Luz María Vargas Riveros, originaria de Xalapa, Veracruz. Se inició en el baile folklórico a la edad de 15 años en el Ballet de la Normal Veracruzana. Posteriormente fue integrante del Ballet Folklórico “Quetzalli” de la Secretaría de Turismo del Estado. Así mismo trabajo como asistente a la dirección de los ballets Folklóricos Infantil y Juvenil de la Secretaría de Educación de Veracruz. Aquí en Canada bailó con el grupo Puro Mexico por 5 años. Actualmente es integrante del grupo Tonatiuh desde 2018. Luz Adriana Castillo es egresada de la Escuela Nacional de Danza Folclórica Mexicana (ENDF-INBA) de la Ciudad de México. Comenzó sus estudios de danza en Ballet a los 7 años, en las Escuela de iniciación artística, tiene cierta formación en danza contemporánea y jazz, pero su especialidad es en Folklore Mexicano.Luz formó parte del grupo Representativo durante su estancia en la ENDF teniendo la oportunidad de participar en Festivales Folclóricos Internacionales como Mallorca España, Dijon-Francia y Sicilia Folk Festival. En 1998 Luz recibió la invitación para participar como instructora y coreógrafa en el Grupo Folclórico Mexicano “Alianza” en Toronto, Canadá, un año después recibió la invitación invitada como bailarina, instructora y coreógrafa del grupo Folclórico “Viva México” En el 2001 inició su propio grupo de baile llamado “TONATIUH |
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Title of work: Los Perros by Elena Garro
Description of Work: Es una lectura dramatizada interpretada por el Grupo Teatro Libre. La obra fué publicada en 1965, la autora es Elena Garro y aborda temas como, la pobreza, la situación opresiva que vive la mujer en un contexto dominado por hombres y la lucha de poderes. La obra está situada en un pueblo en algún lugar de México, donde los habitantes son profundamente supersticiosos, en la superstición de los personajes y el aparentemente inevitable destino desgraciado heredado de madre a hija la trama se desarrolla en un ambiente verosímil entre lo “normalizado” y cotidiano. Bio: Grupo Teatro Libre Toronto, fue fundado en 2008 con la misión de hacer teatro en español de forma colectiva y participativa representando creaciones originales u obras de dramaturgxs latinoamericanos en su idioma original, promoviendo siempre la solidaridad y respeto a los derechos humanos. |
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Title of Work: Décimas cantadas
Description of Work: Décimas dedicadas a la mujer y al arte. Poetry contribution by Dimitri Tamayo Carbonell, Poeta y escritor. Las Tunas, Cuba Bio: Kali is a Mexican musician who specializes in Son Jarocho. Her connection to her place of origin is reflected in her rhythms, her instruments and her lyrics. Kali plays the Jarana, typical instrument originating in her region and is well known for her lyrics which poetically embody the beauty of the Santiago, Tuxtla region of Veracruz, Mexico. She has several recordings with her band Café con Pan and with other musical initiatives in Canada and the United States. Kali has participated with her music and poetry in A take the arts 2021, Day of the dead festivals 2021. Centro Cultural Latinoamericano - International Women's Day 2021. In 2022, Kali Niño is currently writing Décimas with the collaboration of the Cuban poet and writer Julian Dimitri Tamayo Carbonell. |
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Title of Work: Concerto in C minor by J.C Bach
Description of Work: Esta pieza, compuesta por el hijo de el gran compositor Bach, es una pieza musical clásica del año 1947 presentada mayormente por solistas, más que todo cellistas. Ya que es un “concerto” es acompañada por toda una orquesta, agregándole a la emoción de esta y dejando el o la solista brillar. Bio: Mi nombre es Ixchel Ojeda Ramirez, tengo 16 años de edad y estoy en grado 11 de la secundaria. He tocado el cello por 6 años además de tener interés en otras artes como el arte visual o composición de música. Me alegra presentarles hoy una pieza clásica para el Take Up Arts de 2022. |
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Ana Raquel is a Salvadorean, Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist, art educator, and mother. She graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD), with a major in Photography.
Her artistic approach and work revolves mostly around the multiple forms of life and how they manifest themselves through her womanhood and Latin American heritage. Her explorations throughout her artistic career have led her to experiment with collage, transfers, photography, public interventions, textiles, drawing and painting. Through a feminine lens, her work portrays her own personal and spiritual journeys, as well as her interpretation of the myths and cosmovisions of the peoples of Meso-America and the Andes. The figure, line and color play a poetic role in the interpretations of these topics, which in many cases are also a response to society´s absurdities and the influence of her own upbringing, her search for a rooted identity, her own motherhood and cultural baggage. |
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Elena De Vitt is a latinx visual artist based in Toronto. Her work focuses on studying the body in motion and in response to nature. Much of her work emphasizes on celebrating Mexican culture and the beauty and magic of our surroundings.
Elena De Vitt creates commissioned work to capture portraits of loved ones. De Vitt has a bachelor degree in Graphic Arts from the Universidad De Las Americas, Puebla, Mexico. |
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Title of Work: Distante
Description of Work: Video collage series that, through sounds and visuals seeks to evoke the condition of having your mind, body, and soul be homesick. Bio: Mi nombre es Michaela Coyoli Basman Monterrubio y soy artista multidisciplinaria de San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, México y graduada de la universidad OCAD en Toronto, Canadá. Mi trabajo trata varios temas incluyendo mi identidad multi-racial y las implicaciones personales, políticas y sociales de ésta. Soy hija de madre Oaxaqueña y padre Judío-Canadiense, y con mi trabajo pretendo observar, criticar, cuestionar y celebrar los espacios donde hacen intersección los temas de hogar, raza, nacionalidad, indigenismo, historia, memoria colectiva, religión y espiritualidad. My name is Michaela Coyoli Basman Monterrubio and I am a multidisciplinary artist from San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico as well as an OCAD University graduate with a major in Graphic Design. My work often deals with my mixed identity, being half Mexican and half Jewish-Canadian, tackling the personal, political, and social issues regarding themes of home, race, nationality and nationhood, indigeneity, ethnicity, collective memory, history, religion, and spirituality. |
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Title of Work: La Danza de las Libélulas y Volver a los 17.
Description of Work: "La Danza de la libélulas" del cantautor chileno Manuel García. Bio: Rosy Cervantes is a Mexican - Canadian songwriter. In 2002 she founded the musical project La Sana Rabia, performing in National and international festivals in Mexico, Colombia, and Canada. |
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Sara is a Kuxkatan (El Salvador) born, Tkaronto (Toronto) based creative professional. She received formal art training while attending the enriched program at Earl Haig Secondary School followed by creative training while attending the graphic design program at George Brown College. Sara's work is a reflection of her life journey especially focused on memories of her childhood in her birth place. Through her work Sara channels her views on the story of her native country, her admiration for her culture and ancestors, as well as her sense of connection with nature. Sara has over 10 years of experience working with diverse communities in the arts and culture and not-for-profit sectors and is passionate about community building, reconnecting with ancestral roots, healing arts, mindful consumption, and social justice.
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Title of Work: Lectura de poemas
Description of Work: Se trata de una colección de poemas intimistas, la mayoría de ellos Bio: Tania Hernández radica actualmente en la Ciudad de México. Es doctora en Estudios Ambientales por la York University. Colaboró en iniciativas culturales de Casa Maíz. Hoy es investigadora parlamentaria de la Cámara de Diputados de México. También es integrante del Espacio Cultural San Lázaro, donde coordina seminarios de literatura. |
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Tania Iraheta is a visual artist, art Instructor and Certified Artist-Educator passionate about teaching. She is the project creator and facilitator for Pinceles Latinos Art Studio Collective (Latin Brushes). Pinceles Latinos is an art education project born in 2007; the collective offers visual art classes and painting workshops for the Latin American community in Toronto and is one of the many cultural initiatives that make up Casa Maiz Cultural Center, a center dedicated to support the cultural, sustainable and participatory development of the Latin American community in Toronto. Tania is also an Art Instructor working for the City of Toronto and City of Vaughan teaching visual art classes to children, adults and seniors.
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Title of Work: 6 hours, thoughts and a painting
Bio: Giselle Navaroli is a Toronto based artist, born and raised in Havana, Cuba; where she completed the Elementary School of Ballet, a degree in Clowning from The National Circus School, and a Bachelor degree in Fine Arts from the University of Cuba. Giselle is a very versatile artist, her art expressions range from visual art to performance arts. As a performer, Giselle partook as lead actress at “Buendia” Theatre Company in Cuba, toured to Samara, Moscow, Minas Gerais, and Brazil for the International Theatre Festival, two times at Ibero–American Theatre Festival in Costa Rica, and later she performed in England at The Globe Theatre. She is an advocate for children and youth working in communities’ recreational programs. Also, supporting children and their families at Sick Kids as a therapeutic clown and creating and developing engaging programs. |
