Con Los Santos o se Juega / Don't Mess with the Saints

Press Release

The role of spirituality in contemporary Latino art is explored in an exhibition at the William Paterson University Galleries in the Ben Shahn Center for the Visual Arts on campus from March 26 through April 27, 2012. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Saturday, March 31 from 3 to 5 p.m.

The exhibition, “Con los santos no se juega/Don’t Mess with the Saints,” was organized in conjunction with the University’s 2012 Cross-Cultural Arts Festival: Latin America and the Caribbean, which highlights the University’s mission to encourage diversity, community outreach, and multiculturalism. Developed by the University’s College of the Arts and Communication, the festival seeks to feature the impact of the fine arts, music and cinema in facilitating cross-cultural empathy and developing global connections. All events are open to the public. Admission to most events is free.

The exhibition was conceived in association with the University’s panel discussion on Santería practices, which will be held on March 27, 2012 from 5 to 8 p.m. in the University Commons Multipurpose Room. The panel will examine the scholarship of Lydia Cabrera, an anthropologist who devoted her career to studying Afro-Cuban folklore and traditions.

Working in mixed media, photography, installation, and performance, the artists in this exhibition reinterpret religious symbols from varied sources such as Buddhism, Catholicism, and Santeria. By looking to the spiritual realm, these artists gain a deeper understanding of life and death and the meaning of our existence.

Participating artists include: Juan Betancurth, Rodriguez Calero, José Camacho, Ana Mendieta, Clara Morera, Pepón Osorio, and Ernesto Pujol. The exhibition title is drawn from the Santería-inspired song “Rompe Saragüey” by Puerto Rican singer Héctor Lavoe.

The exhibition is one of two shows on view concurrently in the University Galleries. “Viewpoints 2012,” the annual juried art exhibition sponsored by Studio Montclair, is on view in the South and East Galleries from March 26 through April 20. The exhibition includes works by 43 contemporary artists from across the United States who have used an array of media and techniques to offer diverse perspectives on contemporary life.

This exhibition is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The William Paterson University Galleries are wheelchair-accessible. Large-print handouts are available. For additional information, please call the Galleries at William Paterson University at 973-720-2654.