Nicaraguan Horses

In contrast to the thousands of working horses in Nicaragua, the horses that come out for the festivals and parades seem like a different species all together. Above is a real beauty prancing in a parade in Managua during the Patron Saint festival of Santo Domingo, the patron saint of the city of Managua. I was able to get a little closer to this beautiful animal later as it was resting in the shade -- but not too close -- he was quite a high-strung, nervous beauty, prone to biting! So I kept my distance!

I came to know that there were well-cared for and thorough-bred horses in Nicaragua because of the vet that we took our dogs to. Our vet's brother raised horses out in the country along the Viejo Leon road. It's possible he would ride some of his horses in the festivals.

It seemed that for most of the larger festivals in the towns of moderate size, horses always played a part in the excitement and pageantry. Our first visit to Nicaragua was in November, and we were caught right in the middle of a beautiful festival in Catarina. There were many young people sharing horses, and some beauty queens with sashes riding along too!














For more information about Managua's patron saint festival go to www.vianica.com/go/specials/27-managua-nicaragua-patron-saint-dominic-festivities.html

A very abbreviated list of some festivals around the country is below.


San Juan de Oriente and San Juan del Sur:
Patron Saint Festival of St. John the Baptist, June 24: Nicaraguan music, food, games and parades at the end of June in both San Juan de Oriente and San Juan del Sur on Nicaragua's Pacific Coast.

Boaco & Jinotepe:
Patron Saint Festival of St. Santiago, July 25: Set in the cattle and cowboy region of Boaco, this weeklong celebration features dancers in brightly colored costumes, wearing crowns adorned with flowers and streamers.

Nandaime, Chinandega and Ometepe:
Patron Saint Festival of St. Ana, July 26: An annual celebration honoring Santa Ana, the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus.

Corn Island:
Festival del Cangrejo, Aug. 25-26: Beauty pageants, street parades and sporting contests.

Managua:
Patron Saint Festival of Santo Domingo, Aug. 1-10: A ceremony in which a statue of the saint is taken from the church of Las Sierritas and transferred to an older church near downtown Managua.

Granada and Juigalpa:
Assumption Patron Festival, Aug. 15: Calling visitors from throughout Nicaragua, Juigalpa's "fiestas patronales" include bull riding, rodeo competitions and horseback games for all ages.

Ileana del Socorro Aleman Maltez & Donaldo Rocha Lopez

Husband and wife team, Ileana del Socorro Aleman Maltez and Donaldo Rocha Lopez recently opened a small shop in lovely Catarina, a quaint village overlooking Lago Apoyo outside of Masaya, Nicaragua. They sell their paintings and various trinkets from this shop, and hope to make it their main livelihood. This entrepreneurial endeavor was a risk and a hope for them, and as their reputations as painters become better known, they hope to support themselves and their two children through the sale of their art.


Both Ileana and Donaldo are natives of Niquonohomo, a town outside Masaya famous as the birthplace of the political and folk hero Augusto Cesar Sandino. They are both self-taught and originally began painting in the 1980’s and 1990’s, during the Sandinista period. Ileana comes originally from a family of farmers, and her father began to paint as a reprieve from the hard work of farming. He started a community art group for the youth of the neighborhood, and Ileana eventually became its director. She describes her work as reflecting the people and the simple villages of proletarian Nicaragua, the fertile and fresh lands of Nicaragua with its characteristic lakes and volcanoes.

Below left, "Atarecer en Mi Pueblo" by Ileana Aleman Maltez. Oil on linen. Below right, "Pescadores" by Donaldo Roche Lopez. Oil on linen.

Donaldo began painting in the 1990’s, and was encouraged by a fellow artist, Arnulfo Palacios Mercado, who had already achieved some success as a painter. Donaldo began painting as a diversion, and has now made it his life work. Initially he exhibited his works in the Masaya Mercado or tourist market, but found his work sold for too little and he was able to keep too little after other expenses. Two years ago, he and his wife moved their shop to the village of Catarina, a smaller town with lower expenses, but a popular tourist destination.

Both Ileana and Donaldo’s art is different from the work of artists from Solentiname in that their subject matter reflects the simple villages and landscapes of the mountainous and volcanic areas around Masaya. They are attracted to subjects that are agrarian, including gardens and life in small villages.

Ileana’s works have been exhibited in Central America and in Europe since 1984. Donaldo has exhibited in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and France.

Finca Magdalena

Another lovely series of photos from Kevin Gallagher (honkyis@charter.net), this time about a little known organic farm and hospedaje on Isla Ometepe! Thanks again Kevin!

"Finca Magdalena is an organic farm located on Isla Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua. It is a collective of 24 families who produce organic coffee, milk, vegetables and other crops. They also offer simple lodging to tourists, a restaurant, and can provide guided tours to Volcan Maderas, on whose side slope the farm is located. Most definitely an enchanted place -- particularily at dawn sitting on the veranda overlooking the lake and Volcan Concepcion."

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Ernesto Cardenal & the Solentiname Church

More than 40 years ago, a Nicaraguan monk and poet, who had studied under Thomas Merton in a Trappist monastery, came to the islands of Solentiname. This man, Padre Ernesto Cardenal, founded a spiritual retreat and began working with the struggling local population. Through his inspiration, the islanders experimented with painting and drawing. Padre Ernesto supplied them with their first paints and supplies, and brought a famous artist from Managua, Roger Perez de la Rocha, to teach painting techniques.

While Padre Ernesto provided the initial inspiration for the economic improvements in the lives of the people of Solentiname through the arts, he also provided a powerful spiritual environment for contemplation and conversation. The merging of the spiritual, artistic and political came naturally through continuing dialogue between Padre Ernesto and the campesino's of the Islands. These conversations developed into a spiritual philosophy based on Christian
liberation theology and principles of social justice and community sharing. The remarkable philosophy has had widespread influence in the political and social life of Nicaragua, especially when Padre Ernesto became the first Nicaraguan Minister of Culture under the Sandinista government which came to power in the 1980's.


Over 1000 campesinos participated in these dialogues about social equality, and analyzing their economic and living conditions. Eventually, a beautiful book was created from these conversations, The Gospel According to Solentiname, which considered how their Savior would have lived his life in contemporary Nicaragua.

Below is a description by Padre Ernesto of the evolution of the conversations and the eventual development of the paintings in the book.

The Gospel According to Solentiname
by Ernesto Cardenal

Every Sunday, on the Island of Solentiname, a withdrawn oasis on Nicaragua Lake, we hold a discussion with campesinos instead of a sermon on the Gospel. The campesinos’ comments are usually more incisive than those of many theologians, but as guileless as the Gospel itself. This is not odd: the Gospel, or "good news" was written for and by people similar to them.

Some friends advised me not to let these commentaries fade away, but to collect and publish them in a book. This is that book. I first began collecting them by memory and went back as far as possible. Then, in a more pragmatic sense, we used a tape recorder.

Many of these interpretations were offered at church, at Sunday mass - also, in the straw hut, where we held our meetings and our community lunch after mass. We often held our mass and discussion of the Gospel here under the open sky, at other islands, or at a small hamlet by a beautiful river with lush, tropical vegetation.

Every Sunday, we give each attendee a copy of the Gospel. That is, those who can read. We have a few who cannot read - mainly the elders. That’s because they come from islands far from the school. Someone who reads better, usually a younger boy or girl, reads us the chapter that is to be studied. Then, we offer our commentaries line by line.

Thirty-eight islands make up the Solentiname archipelago - some are quite small and only the larger islands are inhabited. There are about a thousand people living there. That makes around ninety families. Homes are typically straw huts that are scattered, one far from the other, on these islands’ beaches. Our community or laity monastery, Our Lady of Solentiname, is situated on the tip of the biggest island. The Colombian poet, William Agudelo, his wife, Teresita, and their two small children, Irene and Juan are part of this community. Also, three youngsters were born on these islands, Alejandro, Elbis and Laureano. Communication with the outside world is not frequent and our meditation is not disturbed in this place. It’s not easy to reach and lies, thank God, far from business and tourism routes.

Not all of the inhabitants on these islands come to mass. Many don’t because they don’t have a boat.

Some don’t because they have lost their devotion to the saints. Others don’t because of the influence of the anticommunist propaganda and perhaps because of fear. Not all of those who come, take part in these commentaries. There are some who speak often.

Marcelino is mystical. Olivia is more theological. Rebecca, Marcelino’s wife, always dwells on love. Laureano relates everything to the revolution. Elbis is concerned with tomorrow’s perfect society. Felipe, another youngster, always has the struggle of the proletariat in mind. Tomás Peña, his dad, cannot read but speaks with great wisdom. Alejandro, Olivia’s son, is a young leader and his comments are usually words of counsel for everybody, but particularly for the young. Pancho is a conservative. Julio Mairena constantly defends equality. Oscar, his brother, always speaks of unity. They and everybody else who speaks often and says important things, and those who seldomly speak but also say important things, and those compañeros like William and Teresita that have participated in these discussions, they are the authors of this book.

It’s more accurately said that the true author of this book is the Holy Spirit that has inspired these commentaries. The campesinos in Solentiname very well know that He is the one who makes them speak. He is the same who inspired the Gospel. The Holy Spirit is God’s spirit living among his people - He is who Oscar would call the spirit of community cohesion, and who Alejandro the spirit of serving others, and Elbis the spirit of the future society, and Felipe the spirit of the struggle of the proletariat, and Julio the spirit of equality and common goods, and Laureano the spirit of the revolution, and Rebeca the spirit of love.

From: http://www.solentiname.org/content/view/20/28/

Galeria Anil

The artists of Nicaragua can be found in every corner of this beautiful country. But in 2005, as a Managua resident, I was constantly on the lookout for local galleries of any kind of art. I stumbled upon Galeria Anil just by chance, and was really enthralled by this small gem. Anil, meaning "indigo" in Spanish, is surrounded in a cocoon of azure and indigo blue, and offers an eclectic mix of contemporary visual art and sculpture. Located on a quiet street in the Bolonia district of Managua, the building is a converted residence that retains some of the most pleasant aspects of a home.


The moderate sized galleries encircle a delightful courtyard, and the wicker chairs inviting you to relax -- a wonderful excuse to gently settle yourself and meditate on the paintings and sculpture.



Luis Morales Alonso, Director and Owner of Galeria Anil, studied in Cuba, Mexico and Guatemala, and has exhibited in Spain and all over Latin America, including Peru, Mexico and Central America. He began the Gallery about 15 years ago, and since then it has grown into this lovely space. In the last two years, Galeria Anil has curated and hosted such interesting exhibitions as "Playland: Pinturas del importante artista coastarricense Adrian Arguedas", "4 puntos Cardinales: Works of Alicia Montoya, Sarahlynn Pistorius, Luzvy Martinez, Lila Suka", "Tres Mujeres en el Arte: Maria Lourdes Ceneno, Giovanna Serrano, Rosa Carlota Tunnermann", "Colision: Pinturas Recientes de Victor M. Leiva", "El Conquistador" and the unedited graphic work "Trienio 1978-1980" of Hugo Palma-Ibarra, and "Armonias Reciprocas: Obras recientes del pintor Ramiro lacayo Deshon".

When I dropped by unannounced, I met both Senor Morales and Aldo Chavarria, his colleague. Although Senor Morales was clearly on his way somewhere, they were both extremely courteous and attentive, plying me with many beautiful color prints, postcards and publications -- even a poster of an exhibition of Nicaraguan contemporary art in Denmark in September of 2004. The back of the poster offered an informed summary (in English) of the influences on contemporary Nicaraguan visual arts from the pre-Colombian heritage through the European traditions to modern experimental art in Nicaragua in the 1980's 1990's and into the 21st century. This succinct history was written by Luis Morales Alonso.

Galeria Anil is located in the Bolonia neighborhood of Managua, 1 block to the west of the Canal 2 TV building, 10 meters to the south. The last contact information I had to reach the Galeria Anil is 505-266-5445 or galerianil05@yahoo.com.

San Juan del Sur

Everyone knows San Juan del Sur, either by personal experience or by reputation! We visited over Semana Santa, which wasn't exactly the best move! We had no hotel reservation, and of course there was nothing available, so we made it a long day trip!

The young men in the photo above were some of the happy hordes passing the time on the main street by the beach. Many hawkers of sunglasses, watches, fruit and other goodies lined the sidewalks. The streets were completely overrun by people -- most dressed for swimming and relaxing. We didn't see many foreigners, which surprised us since we had heard so much about San Juan del Sur being taken over.

The beach and surrounding areas were beautiful, although over-crowded. But the crowds were happy! We arrived in late morning and people watched for a long time, and watched the sun set over the water. The entire atmosphere was of festive summer joy, which is part of the message of the celebration of Semana Santa.

The Basket Women of Los Amadores, La Concha

This story is from Lisa Lippay in Managua. Thank you Lisa! For more information , please contact Lisa at llipay@hotmail.com.

ARTISAN COOPERATIVE IN LOS AMADORES, LA CONCHA, NICARAGUA

"Los Amadores is a rural community located a mere 20 miles from Nicaragua´s capital, Managua. It is a primarily agricultural community made up of 500 people, nestled in the foothills of Masaya Volcano, near Managua. The families who live here are mainly subsistence farmers whose only source of disposable income is from sales of pineapple and the colorful and unusual fruit, pitahaya, which resembles a cross between beets and kiwi fruit. The sulfuric emissions from the nearby volcano leaves the soil relatively poor for even subsistence agriculture.

This community first came to the attention of the group Asociación de Damas Diplomaticas in 2003, when the primarily social group, made up of spouses of foreign diplomats posted in Managua and other members of the international community, decided to support the construction of a “comedor”, or community kitchen, for the purpose of feeding the 105 school children in the area. The Association finances the purchase of basic food commodities through donations from private enterprise, a monthly quote of every member and the occasional sale of tickets to musical concerts and other cultural events.

In 2006, a Brazilian member of the Association began to visit the community. She was impressed that the women of Los Amadores, in between caring for their children and making arduous trek to the community´s distant water source activities, sought other activities that might bring in extra income. Because the families of Los Amadores live in extreme poverty, the women asked for help in identifying an activity that would bring in some income. She began in May 2006 to teach a small group of the women how to make baskets out of newspaper, a craft popular in Brazil. The technique involves rolling the newspaper into extremely tight but flexible tubes, from which baskets could be fashioned, then painted, then treated with a type of varnish. The typical reaction of everyone who sees these baskets is one of incredulity: this can´t really be made out of paper! The end product indeed resembles something made out of plant or tree fiber such as rattan or bamboo.

The women of Los Amadores were naturally curious about this type of craftwork and saw that this was something they could do in their homes alone, or in groups. Since then several members of the Association have gone each Thursday to the small church at Los Amadores, that was transformed into a busy artist´s studio, with women from the community learning how to weave the baskets, and apply the varnish and paint, all the while improving their technique.

Soon, many of the women simply took wing, and discovered the creativity within themselves. From baskets, several made beautiful (and practical) sous-plats, and even ladies´ handbags. Additionally the Association convinced the mayor of La Concha, which englobes the Los Amadores community, to donate land for the construction of a building where the ladies could continue their craft. The mayor went even further and sent teams of educators to teach the adults of Los Amadores to read and write (illiteracy in the community approaches 100%.)


The International Diplomatic Women Association (Asociación de Damas Diplomaticas y Misiones Internacionales), whose main priority is the feeding of the school children in the area, financed the construction of a new community kitchen and is feeding 220 children nowadays. The old kitchen was converted into a workshop, where the ladies of Los Amadores continue to create things of beauty for the area shops and the crafts fairs that regularly take place in Managua and nearby Granada and Masaya. While all this has opened the eyes of the ladies of Los Amadores to a world of possibilities, the next goal is to firm up what has become a defacto artist´s cooperative.

Seventeen families of Los Amadores are the main beneficiaries of the project. The project has already served to provide some income to the women who participate and has provided a needed boost to their self-esteem. The art they create is all from recycled material that would otherwise be thrown away and thus is ecologically healthy."

The Many Unknown Artists of Nicaragua

There are many self-taught, yet talented artists in Nicaragua, who produce their work in such repetitious profusion that their skill and creativity become devalued. I found many examples of this while browsing in the Masaya Mercado or the Huembes Mercado in Managua. In most cases the painters' signatures are very difficult to read, but if you're lucky the shopkeeper may know the artist's name, but rarely anything else about the artist. Above right, my guess is this is by Marlon Ocampo.

For those of you more knowledgeable than I in regard to painters of Nicaragua, you may be familiar with some of these artists. Please let me know if you can verify the artists for any of the paintings! I am eager to learn more about them, even if they are considered "tourist" paintings!

The photos in this post today are of paintings that I found in the Masaya Mercado, each of which exhibits a definitive style and technique. Some of the artists can be identified from their signatures and they are noted. However, I know nothing more about them. Other artists have extremely stylized signatures which cannot be read. These artists will just remain "unknowns" until someone can trace down their stories! Above left, a typical "fecund woman" with vibrant colors and a interesting palette paint application. Artist unknown.

Hope you enjoy these unknown artists! If YOU happen to know something about any of the se artists, please let me know!












Above left, pen and ink on cardboard. Unknown artist. Possibly by Marlon Ocampo.

Above right, water color and pen and ink by Quinonez.

To the right, water color and pen and ink by Marlon Ocampo.

To the left, water color by Sequeira.

Below right, artist unknown.

Sandinista Rally

These terrific photos were taken by Robin Hooper in March of 2007 at a Sandinista rally in Managua. Robin has really captured the energy and commitment of the rally. For more information about the Sandinista political party in Nicaragua, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandinista.

Thank you Robin! Great photos!








Australian born photographer/journalist, Robin Hooper, has spent most of her adult life living in and photographing some of the world’s most remote regions – Australia’s Northern Territory, the Mexican state of Chiapas and most recently, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Her attraction to rugged landscapes and the people who inhabit them was born from a childhood exploring the wilds of her native southeast Queensland. Robin has exhibited in Australia and her photos have been published in Australia and internationally.

To view more of Robin's work, go to http://robinhooper.aminus3.com/portfolio/ .

COPYRIGHT:
For single use only and please credit all photos
Photographer: Robin Hooper

Francisco Tikay

Much of the wood art one finds in Nicaragua is of poor quality and rather generic. However, there are a number of cooperatives and family workshops that are managing their materials and designs, and creating objects of a high artistic and technical quality.

In 2006, when I was first exploring the wood working arts market in Nicaragua, I was told to go to Monimbo, a barrio of Masaya. So I went off in my tiny rented car to find a wood artist! It was an experience, I can tell you. I started by asking an old gentleman at a farmacia on one of the main streets. He pointed into one of the barrios, so there I headed. By asking and asking again, a young boy about 10 years old, Adiel, finally took pity on me and led the way on his bicycle to Don Francisco Tikay's home and workshop! It was worth the wait!

Don Tikay and his 3 sons run a family workshop, where they design and fabricate beautiful and functional wood art objects. To the left is a photo of Don Tikay and one of his sons. Their workshop is a mess (see photo below), but the products they produce are really lovely. The vase with inlaid designs (shown above) is one example of the meticulous detail and care they put into all their work.

While I was visiting, I was able to meet Dona Tikay, and spend time with some of their other children.

The variety of objects they produce is quite broad, and includes fairly large "bauls" or trunks of different types of wood, which are really gorgeous. I especially like the bowls and vases formed from a single piece of wood, and utilizing the unique beauty of the natural colors and patterns of the wood. Many of the bowls and vases are more akin to sculptures than to utilitarian dishes! They are a beautiful addition to any room or table!


Another woodworker in Monibo is Alvaro Castellon, who I will profile in a separate post. His work is completely different, but as beautiful as Don Tikay's work.

A particularly unique business in Managua that produces truly unusual wooden furniture is Simplemente Madera. They work with an array of small wood workshops around the country and export to the US and Europe. I'll profile them also in a future post!

Salvador Castillo

"Triptico - Granada" by Nicaraguan artist Salvador Castillo

I'm sorry to say that my timing is terrible -- if you haven't already gone, you have missed the exhibition of work by Salvador Castillo at Codice Gallery! But if you have another opportunity, try to go to see his very interesting and creative work!

Sr. Castillo was born in Managua in 1958, and was educated at Colegio Calasanz and finished an architecture degree at UNAN in Managua. He has also attended the Escuela de Artes Plasticas, working with artist Fernando Saravia. In 1997 and 1999, he participated in La Bienal de Pintura Nicaraguense Fundacion Ortiz-Guardian. In addition, in 1998, he was part of a joint exhibition including the master artists Armando Morales and Federico Nordalm at the opening of the Galeria Pleyades in Managua. Over the course of his career, he has participated in many solo and joint exhibitions in Central America, North America, South America and Europe.


One of the most fascinating aspects of Salvador Castillo's work is his ability to paint in different styles with the same degree of expertise and success in artistic interpretation. His subjects are versatile, and span landscapes, nudes, traditional themes, and modern interpretations. In the photo of his work above, he has formed a collage of different monuments of a Granada, rearranging them to bring his own interpretation to the canvas!

Above right, "Nostalgia"; below left, "Casa Cural de Masaya".









Below, "Leyendo de Ometepe".