060606, it is 10:00 a.m., and I am still here. Annihilation’s tentacles failed to reach my dinning room/office, and that is a good thing, for today, we are scheduled to visit the San Antonio Museum of Art, on 200 West Jones Avenue and Broadway, www.samuseum.org. On Tuesdays, attendance is free after 4:00 p.m., otherwise as students our fee would have been $5.00. As many times, as I have visited the museum I am sure I will waste my gas driving around despite my map quest print out resting on the passenger’s seat.

My youngest daughter Renae, who is 10 years old, accompanied me and we arrived only two minutes late-I did allow for the “scenic route”. After I introduced her to every one present, I was handed my official looking International Student Identification card, complete with photo. Photos provided by Leonard Ziegler from SAC’s audiovisual department-muchas gracias Leonard! Too bad I was not smart enough to offer a bribe for touch ups.

This was not my first visit to SAMA; however, I had not been since the addition of the new Latin American Collection, a gift from Nelson A. Rockefeller.

For today’s assignment, each student drew one piece of paper from a small red drawstring organza bag of professor Marcotte’s. The tiny paper revealed which of the four sections, (Folk Art, Modern, Colonial or Pre-Columbian), we were to make a presentation on. I drew the Colonial section and teamed up with Melanie and we were given only 30 minutes to visit and answer a few questions from our handout. The Colonial area included works of art from the 16th through 19th centuries and for the most part, designed for or with religious intensions, from geographic areas to include all of Mexico, the Central and South Americas. Melanie selected a beautiful needlework tapestry, she said what she most liked was the bright colors used and I selected a heavy looking wood and iron trunk. The trunk was one of the few pieces displaying mythical indigenous drawings in an Asian deco. The Asian influence resulting from the Spanish who sailed once or twice a year across the Pacific Ocean between Manila in the Philippines and Acapulco in New Spain from 1565 to the early 19th century (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila-Galleon)

The Spanish Catholic faith is evident by the statues of the different Saints, Crucifixes and images of Mother Mary. Professor Marcotte gave a quick explanation how Mary, under the title of Virgen de Guadalupe, not only is a “tool” in the Catholic faith but also is very much part of the Mexican cultural and traditions.







The enlargement is of the door found in the base of the Virgen's shrine, probably served as a tabernacle. The arch is found outside on the Museum grounds.

I would like to mention that Professor Alba De Leon would be so proud of me for not using the phrase “a piece of art”; I just learned, (maymester), the usage is a no no.

My little girl now believes college is fun and expressed that our visit was too short and I agreed. On the way out, I was planning my evening when we noticed belly dancers, wearing the traditional attire, in the lobby so we stopped and peeked over the stair rails. Apparently, they pulled a few on lookers from the crowd for a quick belly control lesson. I know it is harder than it looks.

Hasta la vista (sorry no baby).

Maria, Maria