The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and seven other city organizations are collaborating with the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago to present the National Sor Juana Festival: A Tribute to Mexican Women featuring multidisciplinary events in March and April at various Houston locations. The annual event, now in its 14th year, is organized by the Chicago institution.
The Houston premiere, initiated by the MFAH, marks the first time the festival is being held outside of Chicago. Local organizations partnering with the MFAH are MECA (Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts), Arte Pъblico Press, Univision Radio, Talento Bilingue de Houston, Nuestra Palabra, Hispanic Women in Leadership, and City of Houston, Mayor´s Office.
The festival is named for renowned Mexican playwright and poet Sor Juana Inùs de la Cruz, a 17th-century nun who valued the education of women. She is considered to be the first feminist in the Americas. The festival honors her legacy and the accomplishments of Mexican women from Mexico and the United States.
The Houston partnership for the festival emerged from meetings organized by Angela Camarillo, public programs coordinator at the MFAH, whose outreach to local Latin American groups is part of the museum´s greater effort to expand the recognition of Latin American art and artists in the United States. Camarillo developed plans for the event in consultation with Jorge Valdivia, performing arts director of the National Museum of Mexican Art.
"This unique festival celebrates the many contributions Mexican women have made to the arts, our community, and our lives," said Valdivia. "The National Museum of Mexican Art is proud to be collaborating with so many wonderful organizations in Houston."
Festival opening awards ceremony
The festival officially opens with the 2007 Sor Juana Women of Achievement Awards Ceremony at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 22 in the MFAH´s Brown Auditorium Theater. The private event features a performance by Diana Bracho, one of Mexico´s most acclaimed film and television actresses, and the National Museum of Mexican Art´s tribute to six Houston women who exemplify the legacy of Sor Juana. The honorees for the Women of Achievement award, selected from nominees submitted by Latino organizations, schools, and community leaders, are: Patricia Dominguez, president of Latin Women´s Initiatives (formerly Mexican Women´s Initiatives); Rosanna Moreno, executive director for international services at Memorial Hermann Hospital and chair of the Edward James Olmos Latino Book and Family Festival; Dr. Augustina Reyes, associate professor of educational leadership and cultural studies at the University of Houston; Graciela Saenz, attorney with Oppel, Goldberg & Saenz and former Houston city council member; and Alice Valdez, executive director of MECA. The recipient of the Young Visionary award is Julita Rincon, University of Houston student and former president of Jovenes Inmigrantes por un Futuro Mejor. -- www.mfah.org
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