This year in San Diego we will be featuring a commissioned piece of art by @mexikota_art, Native Chicano Park artist, as part of our Art y Vida program with @delmagueymezcal. This is just a little sneak peak at part of the larger painting, which will be unveiled at the event on October 8th. Don't wait on getting tickets because we are edging closer to selling out - Link in bio for tickets or here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/675593336857?aff=oddtdtcreator
The Business of Art Scholarship Partners* are excited to announce The Business of Art Scholarship recipient, Hector Villegas. Over 160 artwork images from 33 artists were evaluated and Hector’s vibrant, captivating, and culturally significant artwork was selected to be showcased at one of Mission Fed ArtWalk’s artist booths on April 30 and May 1, 2022, in Little Italy. In addition to being awarded a booth, mentoring, publicity, art consulting, and marketing, Hector will be the guest of honor at The Business of Art Scholarship Reception hosted by Sparks Gallery on March 23, 2022.
Our warmest congratulations to Hector Villegas for this accomplishment and his numerous contributions to his neighborhood, Barrio Logan, and our community at large.
Hector is a first-generation Chicano from Barrio Logan in San Diego, California. The youngest of five siblings, Hector grew up in a low-income, single-family home. He faced adversity and hardship in his adolescence and survived gang and prison life as a young man. Ultimately, he dedicated himself to the visual and performing arts, education, community organizing, activism, and fatherhood. Hector is the proud father of Cuicani Quetzal and Yollotli Huitzilac.
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Hector’s mother was born in Nayarit, Mexico and his father was born in Jalisco, Mexico. His indigenous Cora and Huichol roots are "a gift from my mother and father," respectively, and deeply influential in his professional roles and artistry.
Hector Villegas has spent the last 7 years developing his acrylic painting and mural artistry in a Neo Mexika style. His works are a blend of Meso American glyphs, textiles, and 3-dimension geometry. He shares a community-centric studio and gallery, Galeria 1904, with local artists who collectively feature Native Chicano art. His painted murals at Chicano Park (a national historic landmark and home to the nation’s largest collection of outdoor murals) exhibit Native Chicano traditional art through a contemporary lens. When Hector is not painting, he teaches Native, Mexicano, and Chicano art, history, and culture at the La Maestra Center for Youth Advancement in City Heights.
Hector frequently contributes to his neighborhood, Barrio Logan (one of the oldest and most culturally-rich urban neighborhoods in San Diego and one of 14 California Cultural Districts), as an active member of the Chicano Park Steering Committee, Barrio Logan Planning Group, Barrio Logan Maintenance Assessment District, and The Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center.
“My intention is to bring back images that tell stories of our culture and educate people about our rich history and struggle. My inspiration and purpose is to continue the tradition, ceremony, language, and history passed on to me by my elders...” - Hector Villegas