ARTSPEAK RADIO with Lita Sandoval and Lucero Denisse Valderama

Wednesday August 5, 2020, 12noon – 1pm CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd talks with artist/educator Lita Sandoval and writer/educator Lucero Denisse Valderama.

LITA SANDOVAL I am an adornment artist with an eye for beauty and style inspired by my New Mexico heritage, music, vintage fashion, and the serendipitous mess of art supplies on my table. I have been making jewelry since I was a little girl, playing with beads and colorful telephone wire. I find inspiration in simplicity, letting my materials – handmade and beautifully patterned papers, glass beads and rhinestones, pieces of vintage jewelry and found objects – guide and inspire my work. My unique decoupage and beaded jewelry is an expression of my passion for sumptuous materials and my desire to make the world a more beautiful place to live. I also am exploring making other crafty pieces such as mixed media ornaments and vignettes.
I studied small metals and jewelry making at the University of New Mexico. I am a teaching artist for various art centers and museums and sell my work on Etsy and various craft shows in Albuquerque.

Prior to COVID-19 I had an idea rolling around in my head for several weeks. I love making Artist Trading Cards and thought it would be fun to put together a group of my favorite Latina New Mexico artists to do a trade.
Artist Trading Cards (or ATCs for short) are small, baseball-card sized original works of art that can be traded with other artists. It is a cool way to get creative and connect with other artists and to collect great art! They are meant to be traded, not sold.
So why do an all Latina ATC group? I have felt a certain camaraderie with everyone I invited to participate. I have made art, taught art, or have learned art techniques from many of these women. I volunteer at the National Hispanic Cultural Center for the wildly popular Happy Art Hour and have met many of these women through that program. The others? I love of each of them, their art, and their world views. I chose from women of all ages, who work in a variety of mediums, and have different skill levels. I wanted to introduce artists to each other who may not know one other by sharing our art and seeing what powerful, strong, and talented Latinas we are!
This first group of artists were my test pilot group. We each made at least nine cards to trade and one card to keep for a permanent collection. Every time I received a set of cards in the mail, I would squeal in delight at the amazing artwork! One card from each set was put aside for a permanent collection for an exhibition and, hopefully, as part of a permanent collection somewhere. Imagine filling the walls in a public space, gallery, or museum full of intimate small works of art created by hundreds of Latina artists? I’m so excited of the thought!
Artist Trading Cards – Latina Style

LUCERO DENISSE VALDERRAMA is a Writer, Activist, Educator, and Motivational Speaker. At 23 years old she self-published her first book of poems titled “Soy Mujer”. Valderrama attributes her passion and inspiration to two things: her Mexican culture and the women in her life. Immigrating to the United States at the young age of two years old with her mother, Valderrama translates her experiences of being a Woman, Latina, Mexican, an Immigrant, and a First-Generation college graduate through her words in the form of poetry and academic essays. Valderrama is currently an educator in the middle school division and hopes to return to school to obtain a Masters in Higher Education Leadership and Student Affairs in the near future. Future projects include various poetry books and a memoir.

blurb.com/user/Lucero
Instagram: @_lucerodenisse
Facebook: Lucero Denisse Valderrama

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