This Saturday, December 9, the Eastside Library will be having an all-day Lotería celebration. Lotería is a game of chance, a pastime, and even an educational tool. Because Lotería cards include the name of the pictured character, they are used to teach reading, writing, history, and social values. Join the Library for a day of activities celebrating the history, culture and art of Lotería.
Teens and adults are invited to the opening Lotería workshop from 9-11:30am, at which participants are invited to create their own interpretations of cards from the popular Mexican game. Under the supervision of renowned Professor and Artist Rafael Perea de la Cabada, participants will explore Lotería images created by a variety of artists and work with drawing, painting and collage. Materials will be provided at no cost. Space is limited and registration is required.
Noon to 4:00pm Saturday will be opening receptions for two art shows, Nuestra Lotería and Mi Cartas de Lotería. Nuestra Lotería is an exhibit of artwork created by participants in Alpha Resource Center’s SlingShot program. SlingShot is a working art studio and gallery which supports Santa Barbara artists with developmental disabilities. Nuestra Lotería features the work of eight talented artists and their renditions of classic Lotería iconography. Featured artists are: Maria Arroyo, Marc Sucher, Dylan Long, Rachel MacKenzie, Jane Hollick, Jeff Working, Ben Watts, Megan Isaac.
Mi Cartas de Lotería is a show of Maribel Hernández’s work that speaks to her passion for life, with its various rhythms and emotional landscapes. Hernández was born in Michoacan, Mexico and her work ranges from design, photography, ceramics, and painting.
At noon, attendees will be surprised to learn the complex and fascinating history behind Mexican bingo presented by Santa Barbara City College Professor Alfredo González. Born and raised in Cuernavaca, Morelos (Mexico), González completed his BA in Latin-American Literature and History with an emphasis in Linguistics, in the city of Puebla, Puebla (Mexico). Come learn about Lotería and its long history, uses, and meaning in Mexican culture.
Throughout the day all are invited to play a round (or two! or three!) of Lotería, win prizes, and enjoy pan dulce and hot chocolate. Join the Santa Barbara Public Library in this celebration of Lotería.
This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.calhum.org.
Visit the Santa Barbara Public Library System online at SBPLibrary.org for information about library hours, locations, programs and services. All library programs are free and open to the public.
Contact: Jen Lemberger, Programming & Marketing Librarian
