2018 Car Show and Vendor Spaces are filled to capacity. Thanks for the support! |
|||||||||||||||||
RIP/QEPD Felipe Adame, Howard Hollman, Rebecca Romero, Chunky Sanchez, Rico Bueno, David Savage, Cruz & AnnaMarie Contreras, Andre Banks, and Francine Jimenez 48th Chicano Park Day, Sat. April 21, 2018 Organized by the Chicano Park Steering Committee, Stewards of Chicano Park
The annual celebration was held in historic Chicano Park, located in the Logan Heights community, south of downtown San Diego under the San Diego-Coronado bridge on Saturday, April 21, 2018. This year's theme was 'Chicano Park: El Corazón de Aztlán.' This family event is always free and open to the public. Thank you to all the tremendous volunteers, speakers, performers, vendors and gente that gathered to enjoy a beautiful celebration! The celebration iincluded of Aztec Indigenous dance, coordinated by coordinated by Danza Azteca Calpulli Mexihca, La Rondalla Amerindia, USD FAMA (Ballet Folklórico), Ballet Folklórico CalifAztlán, Danza de los Viejitos--Corazón Purepecha, Mujeres en Resistencia, Village of K.O.R.E., Cota MC, Ruby Clouds, Posse Café, Karina Frost & The Banduvloons, Celina Yaya Heredia, Grupo Tierra Chicana, and Ricardo Sanchez & friends. In addition there was kids arts workshops, over 300 classic lowrider cars on display, speakers, and various food, arts & crafts, and informational booths. Established by Chicano activists on April 22, 1970, Chicano Park has received international recognition as a major public art site for its commanding mural paintings of the past and present struggles of Mexican and Chicano history. The Park was recognized as a San Diego Cultural Resource by the San Diego Historical Society in 1980. In addition, Chicano Park has been listed on the California Register of Historical Resources since 1997, on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in December 2016.  The Chicano Park Steering Committee is on Facebook.
Next meeting of the Chicano Park Steering Committee is Sunday, May 27, 2018, 3pm at the Kiosco.
Chicano Park Bathroom Expansion Project Five new murals will be painted on the outside walls of the new bathrooms. The sketches below (by Patricia Aguayo, Hector Villegas, Giovanni Cerda ("MEX") and Sal Barajas) received the most votes at our July 2017 meeting.
Chicano Park approved for National Historic Landmark statusU.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced the designation of 24 new National Historic Landmarks on January 11, 2017. Chicano Park is among those sites. "On April 20, 1970, community residents occupied Chicano Park in San Diego, California, in an ultimately successful effort to prevent the construction of a California Highway Patrol substation on land where the City of San Diego had promised the neighborhood a community park. Representative of the Chicano Civil Rights Movement, Chicano Park has become a cultural and recreational gathering place for the Chicano community and is the location of the Chicano Park Monumental Murals, an exceptional assemblage of master mural artwork painted on the freeway bridge supports." Read complete press release here. Chicano Park has been listed on the California Register of Historical Resources since 1997 and was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 23, 2013. Tommie Camarillo Day at San Diego City Council, Sept. 20, 2016 Councilman David Alvarez on behalf of the San Diego City Council proclaimed September 20, 2016 to be Tomasa 'Tommie' Camarillo Day ..."WHEREAS, Tommie Camarillo has been a faithful steward and protector, dedicated to her love for a park that serves as a cultural anchor and symbolizes the importance of struggle, sacrifice, and equality; and..." (part of the proclamation) Chicano Park Recreation Improvements Completed
Ribbon-cutting held on November 5, 2015
Join the San Diego Urban Corps and the Chicano Park Steering Committee on November 5, 3pm to celebrate the improvements/additions including the children's playground, tiny tots area, new handball court, adult outdoor fitness area (and new grass planted adjacent), skate lane, Raul Jacquez metal artwork restored (and fountain tile work),and landscaping alongside the placita. Read about SD Urban Corps's work in Pablo J. Sáinz article in La Prensa from July 24, 2015.
Chicano Park Herb and Cactus Garden
On November 14 and 15, 2015, community volunteers cleaned and prepped the soil in the cactus garden/sweatlodge area of Chicano Park. Medicinal plants were planted and mulched and new walkways were created. Mil gracias to Georgette Gomez and Xochitl de la Tierra and all the gente who came out to make this beautiful dream a reality. Thanks to Daniela Conde for many of these photos.
Students Document Chicano Park Mural History In 2012, Dr. Alberto Pulido's students at USD, in consultation with the Chicano Park Steering Committee, worked to update documentation of the murals at Chicano Park. The students worked diligently to re-create/update the Chicano Park mural map and have produced a gorgeous publication. A big thank you to the students! Now a revised Chicano Park Murals Documentation Project publication (2015) is available. This revised book includes images of all the restored murals, along with information on the original artists involved in the restoration. At the front of the book is an easy-to-read map of all the murals and their location in the park. The book is available for $25 from Dr. Pulido (apulido@sandiego.edu) or at the monthly CPSC meeting and/or contact the CPSC at cpscchicanopark@sbcglobal.net ********************* A group of USD students, under the guidance of Professor Alberto Pulido, volunteered to be a part of the first Chicano Park-University of San Diego Documentation Project from January to May 2011. Through the collection of oral histories, students documented the history of Chicano Park, Chicano/a history, and five unique aspects of Chicano/a cultural expression that emerged as a result of the establishment of Chicano Park. The five cultural expressions captured by this year's project are: Chicano Art as seen in the public and political biography of Victor Ochoa; Chicano Music as seen through the life of Ramon 'Chunky' Sanchez; Community Organizing (Chicano Park Steering Committee) as seen through the life of Tommie Camarillo; Danzantes (indigenous dance) as seen in the life of Rosa Olga Navarro; and Chicano Car Culture (low riders) as lived and experienced by Rigo Reyes. Go to http://www.sandiego.edu/cas/es/students/chicano_park.php to view the presentations & posters.
Congratulations to Chunky Sanchez
2013 NEA National Heritage Fellow!
http://arts.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/fellow.php?id=2013_09&type=bio Information on all 2013 NEA National Heritage Fellows: http://arts.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/NHFIntro.php?year=2013 The community also celebrated the dedication of the Ramon "Chunky" Sanchez auditorium and mural unveiling (artwork by Sal Barajas & Francisco Contreras) at King Chavez Neighborhood of Schools, 415 - 31st St, San Diego 92102 on Wednesday, June 12, 2013. "San Diego Musician Ramon "Chunky" Sanchez honored locally, nationally Katie Euphrat,KBPS, June 12, 2013: http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/jun/12/san-diego-musician-ramon-chunky-sanchez-honored-lo/
NEA National Heritage Fellowships Concert was held on September 27 at Lisner Auditorium, George Washington University and the awards ceremony on September 25! For those of us not in Washington DC this week, the NEA streamed the concert live on its website: www.arts.gov Chicano Park Mural Restoration Project
Slideshow from the 2006 Chicano Park Day celebration
|
|||||||||||||||||
