'The Spirit of Folk Art' presented by Sandy Garcia

Claremont folk artist Sandy Garcia speaks to the Fine Arts Foundation on October 23, 2019 about her own work as a painter, and the recent rise of interest in Mexican folk art and Day of the Dead activities.

Born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in East Los Angeles, Sandy Garcia was exposed to Latino-Chicano art in her formative years. Since then Mexico’s bright colors have become her palette. She paints faces, spirit birds and churches with broad brushstrokes in vibrant colors on canvas, wood, tin or walls. Her goal is to eliminate barriers that divide people from each other by focusing on the humanity we all share. Garcia’s preferred mode of communication is traditional folk art: she writes with her paintbrush so she can share elements that appeal directly to the senses. She says "I consider my art to be spiritual because I want to reflect a notion of freedom of the soul." Garcia leads local art workshops and is an organizer of Claremont’s upcoming celebration of Dia de los Muertos.