March 25, 2001
Subject: (no subject)
Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 17:43:16 EST
From: CarlosCMSR@aol.com
To: almalopez@earthlink.net
Alma
My name is Carlos Martinez I am a resident of
Santa Fe New Mexico, and to put it mildly I was extremely offended by Your
painting Of the blessed Virgin Mary the Mother of our Savior Jesus Christ
in a bikini, as well as with your painting of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe
with the Mermaid. I was just as offended to learn that you are a Hispana and
should know better than to show utter disrespect for the mother of Jesus as
well as the Mother of the Americas.
Although I do not condone Your blatant disregard of respect for our heavenly
mother I also do not condemn you because I know that almighty God is a loving
as well as a forgiving God and he will deal with you in his own way and in
his own time, I do have a premonition, That Jesus will pray to the father
as he did on Calvary ; {forgive her o Lord for she knows not what she is doing]
I already have and will continue to pray to the good Lord to enlighten you,
so that you may channel your God given talents toward the many injustices
that happen every day in this country and around the world.
Sincerely
Carlos Martinez
Subject: Saludos Desde LA
Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 18:04:12 EST
From: Susanagato@aol.com
To: almalopez@earthlink.net
I saw your Virgen de Guadelupe for a brief moment
on TV shown only as it related to the controversy. What I saw, I really liked.Here
in LA there is an artist, J.Michael Walker who does a lot of V de G's in interesting
situations but I guess they are much less iconoclastic. Anyway, I would love
to view more of your art. One article says that it can be found at home.earthlink.net/almalopez
but I am not getting anything at that address.
Could it be incorrect? If it is incorrect or
if there is a better web-based way to see your pieces, could you please send
me the site. Are you based in LA? We may have met. I am on the board of CARECEN
and I am wondering if you might have helped us with images for an event one
time about three years ago.
Thanks.
Susan Lefebvre
Subject: Guadalupe
Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 19:16:55 -0800
From: "Connie Mississippi" <mzippi@attglobal.net>
To: <letters@sfnewmexican.com>
CC: <almalopez@earthlink.net>
The article in Saturday's "New Mexican"
titled "Art or abomination?" portrays an outcry which smacks of
censorship. Although members of our community may not like the way Ms. Alma
Lopez depicted "Our Lady", she had every right according to the
First Amendment of our Constitution, which gives to all of us the freedom
of speech, to create the work and for the Museum of International Folk Art
to exhibit it. Certainly the church and its members are entitled to protest,
again under the First Amendment, but does it not breech the divide between
Church and State when members demand the dismissal of the museum's staff,
i.e., its Director, Joyce Ice and the Museum of New Mexico's Director, Tom
Wilson?
As an artist and a citizen of Santa Fe, I trust that the Museum, its Board
of Regents, and the State Cultural Affairs Department will hold firm in their
position that they have a right to exhibit Ms. Lopez's work, and will not
be swayed by the recent controversy.
Meanwhile, State Senator Roman Maes's statement that "the National Endowment
for the Arts was destroyed by a few artists and a few other unbending bureaucrats,"
is an exaggeration and overstatement. The National Endowment for the Arts
is very much alive and has been doing extraordinary fine work for the arts
in this country.
Connie Mississippi