April 12-15, 2011
from Sunny Green
to almalopez310@gmail.com
date Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 11:07 AM
subject Proud OMCA is showing your work
mailed-by museumca.org
hide details 11:07 AM
Dear Ms. Lopez,
My name is Sunny and I’m the Membership Manager at the Oakland Museum of California.
I just wanted to say how much I admire your unwavering conviction and tenacity.
The old women’s studies major-queer-feminist-activist-in-me has been revived.
I greatly look forward to your participation in the panel discussion on the 30th.
Please know you have the full and complete support of the Oakland Museum of California.
Sincerely,
Sunny
from Fred Defelice
to almalopez310@gmail.com
date Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 5:50 AM
subject you
mailed-by hotmail.com
hide details 5:50 AM
you're right, I read your biography and you are queer. I don't know what you are so mad about, maybe it's because of the why you are that you feel you need to disgrace the Lords Mother. I hope when it is your time to be judged he has pity on your stupidity. it's clear you have no shame, but then I don't know anyone who is queer that dose. you are disgusting and by no means an artist .anyone could be a jerk and I guess you succeeded.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
from Jocelyn Fuentes
to almalopez310@gmail.com
date Thu, Apr 14, 2011 at 9:26 PM
subject Our Lady of Guadalupe
mailed-by yahoo.com
signed-by yahoo.com
hide details 9:26 PM
Ms. Alma Lopez,
It saddens me to hear of the controversy over your iconic art of the Virgen.
Your idea of projecting the Blessed Mother as a strong woman is in order because she truly is. But you neglected one fact about her --- her modesty. By clothing her with bikini made of leaves (likened to our first mother, Eve, after feeling shame over her nudity when God confronted her and Adam of their sin), you downgraded her from being the woman full of grace and the honored mother of God to that of a stripper, a sex symbol, a sinner.
The bowed head of the Virgen is not of weakness but of humility and profound sadness as she is tormented by the sins of mankind, our sins. Her body language portrays her immense sorrow over the evil of this world.
I do understand that artists envision things from a different, unique perspective and their hyperactive imagination can turn ordinary to a magical extraordinary worthy of the highest accolades. I do understand you needed to work on an icon, so why not the Virgen since she's one of the most well known? Excellent choice but wrong concept. There is a reason why she is called "Blessed". How could you not have foreseen the people's outrage over an almost nude Virgen? You were sensible enough not to choose Mohamed - you would have had Al Qaeda at your doorsteps.
I see many breasts and other body parts in my field. I do not refute your view of the beauty of the woman's breast. Would you bare yours and taunt your luscious breasts for everyone's view because they are too beautiful to hide? There are very sensible reasons why beauty of this sort need to be covered up.
You were affected most by the letters of the children and questioned how their parents can teach them to hate. I am so sorry that they had to resort to such. Then again, should I ask, how can your parents teach you to disrespect and desecrate what other people hold sacred? To me that is a form of hatred. Worst yet is for you to declare to the world your callousness and your willingness to deride and mock with defiance and take pride in doing so. You are shocked by the negative response of the Catholics. This reaction clearly confirms your lack of insight into the relationship of the faithful to the Virgen and their regard and protectiveness of her. It also confirms your anonymity to the Blessed Mother. For the sake of art you made a "graffiti" of her and sabotaged the sacredness of her icon and all the virtues she represents.
Creativity is a God given gift. You must be an atheist if you deny this fact. There is nothing wrong with creative expression but with every gift and talent received comes responsibility and accountability. How you make use of your gift, you will have to give account to God. The purpose of God's gifts is to build His kingdom not to tear it down. Your misguided creative art was certainly not authored by God; he would not have disgraced the mother of his Son. This is contradictory to his nature.
It is with great regret that you could not have found a better inspiration for your art. The Holy Spirit would have opened up wide for you the doors of creative inspiration above and beyond anyone's imagination had you asked him instead. God will edify you with your art more than the world can IF you glorify him first. You can bask on the popularity this incident has catapulted you to; but as long as you show irreverence to God your success will be short lived and peace will elude your soul. This may all be nonsense to you but it is not with God.
I am sure you are very talented. I pray you won't waste this precious gift; rather, use it to draw people to God as he intended it to be. What good will it do you to conquer the world but lose your soul in the process? Your investment would have been all for naught. And your legacy...? Well, that is for you to decide. The blank canvas awaits.
May God's love and peace be yours.
Jocelyn Fuentes
from Tony Gonzales <noreply-comment@blogger.com>
to almalopez310@gmail.com
date Thu, Apr 14, 2011 at 4:34 PM
subject [Alma Lopez] New comment on I Love Lupe - Video Trailer.
mailed-by blogger.bounces.google.com
signed-by blogger.com
hide details 4:34 PM
Tony Gonzales has left a new comment on your post "I Love Lupe - Video Trailer":
Display your own mother as you would want others to see her, do not display our Holy Mother with your lack of respect.
from Patricia Stebbins
to alma310@sbcglobal.net
date Wed, Apr 13, 2011 at 7:28 PM
subject The painting
signed-by yahoo.com
hide details 7:28 PM
Dear Ms. Lopez, I am an elderly woman who is grieved by your depiction of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I have a deep devotion to her and honor her appearance to Juan Diego - an appearance that brought an end to the dreadful human sacrifices of infants in the Mexican culture at that time. Your replacing her sacred image - still on display hundreds of years later in Mexico City - with that of a barely clothed, seductive looking 'modern' woman is shameful, as is your replacing the small figure of Juan Diego with a bare-breasted woman. I am sorry for you that you are so spiritually bankrupt.
Perhaps you might quietly ask yourself why you are so scornful of our Blessed Mother. You might also consider using your obvious talent in a more admirable way.
Blessings -
Patricia Stebbins
from Kite Alcantara <noreply-comment@blogger.com>
to almalopez310@gmail.com
date Wed, Apr 13, 2011 at 6:54 AM
subject [Alma Lopez] New comment on New Year (Chinese) and New Book.
mailed-by blogger.bounces.google.com
signed-by blogger.com
hide details 6:54 AM
Kite Alcantara has left a new comment on your post "New Year (Chinese) and New Book":
I am appalled at the magnitude of disrespect such "art" contains. Any claim on intelligent, artistic expressions should not be made with the intent to insult. Surely there must be a way to express one's views artistically and invite critical arguments on issues the art alludes to without having to step on anyone's much revered beliefs. This is pure insult and cheap artistry. You are known and you earn not by the beauty and intelligence communicated in your art, only by the scandal that you invite.
from Chuck Kinnane
to almalopez310@gmail.com
date Wed, Apr 13, 2011 at 4:59 AM
subject your pic of Our Lady
mailed-by gmail.com
signed-by gmail.com
hide details 4:59 AM
Dear Alma -
I am writing you in peace, as a woman who has a deep love for Our Lady, and as a mother of daughters, strong women.
I recently saw your interpretation of Our Lady of Guadalupe - portraying Our Lady in a bikini, and I read your comments saying you wanted to show Mary as a strong woman - it got me thinking that you really didn't understand who Our Lady really is - she is Humility - she is perfect in every way - her strength lies in her beauty, her holiness, her modesty, her dignity, her "yes" to God's request.
Attached are several things I hope you will take the time to read - one is some astonishing facts about the Image of Guadalupe, another is a prayer that is said when blessing images(and in reading the prayer and contemplating, you'll realise that your image is all wrong) - and lastly JPll's Letter to Artists.
I am sad that you felt you had to portray Our Lady as you did - she has strength beyond our comprehension - please pray to Our Lady for loving guidance for the strength you need to remove your image from the public eye - you have no idea how souls are adversely affected-
The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is miraculous, it was created by the Divine -
I will be praying for you - if God has given you a gift for creating art please use it for His honor and glory alone.
Again, please remove your interpretation of Guadalupe from the public eye.
"There is nothing so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength." - That is Our Lady.
In Peace,
Susan Kinnane
The Astonishing Facts About the Image of OLG
Prayer of Blessing of a Statue or Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe
from Dania Alvarez
to almalopez310@gmail.com
date Tue, Apr 12, 2011 at 5:57 PM
subject Our Lady
mailed-by yahoo.com
signed-by yahoo.com
hide details 5:57 PM
Ms. Lopez:
I hope that you find yourself well.
Ms. Lopez, I respectfully write to you in protest of your portrait of Our Lady that is currently being exhibited at the Oakland Museum of California.
I do not ask you to agree with me, but as your fellow child of God, I wanted to let you know that the same Lady from whom's sacred image you have borrowed for a temporary glimpse of fame, is the one that bore our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
She loves you as much as she loves me or anyone else and in her goodness forgives you as she would anyone else.
But, for the sake of your soul, I would beg you to change your ways and realize that your representation mocks the sacredness of something that is very holy. And, only in true repentence will your soul not be endangered through this action. We are all sinners and make mistakes.
But, please Ms. Lopez. Retract this exhibition. You can gain a lot of recognition without using something that will gain you temporal glory for something that will gain you permanent one.
This is not a witch hunt or a call for an abuse of your freedom of expression. On the contrary. I firmly believe that like anyone else, you have free will to do as you choose. In love of my Mother and for love as you as my neighbor, I reach out to you hoping that you reconsider and can only do that.
God bless you always.
"Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, and with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6,7)
from Anonymous <noreply-comment@blogger.com>
to almalopez310@gmail.com
date Tue, Apr 12, 2011 at 1:49 PM
subject [Alma Lopez] New comment on I Love Lupe - Video Trailer.
mailed-by blogger.bounces.google.com
signed-by blogger.com
hide details 1:49 PM
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "I Love Lupe - Video Trailer":
"To be an artist is to love."
I am sorry you suffered from the anger of hurt souls. Pain is no justification for violence (verbal or ortherwise). May Our Lady of Love and Life pray for us and work to heal what is broken through the Blood of Christ...for the sake of His sorrowful Passion, May God have mercy on us and on the whole world.
As an artist myself, I have come to realize that JUST BECAUSE I CAN, DOESN'T MEAN I SHOULD. I, as an artist have a responisbility to humanity and I must discern whether my art is going to heal or destroy.
Peace be with you...
Your Sister in Christ
from joseph devanney
to almalopez310@gmail.com
date Tue, Apr 12, 2011 at 11:24 AM
subject Controversial Art
mailed-by cavtel.net
hide details 11:24 AM
SHAME........................CHICANA TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS ART???????????????
WHO ARE YOU FOOLING? MOST LATINOS REVERE THE MOTHER OF OUR SAVIOR.
WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? WHY DO YOU HATE OUR LADY SO MUCH?
YOU OF ALL PEOPLE, NEED HER MORE THAN EVER.
SOMEDAY YOU MAY (HOPEFULLY) BE FACE TO FACE WITH OUR LADY AND HER SON.
WHAT WILL YOUR EXCUSE BE???????? BETTER START PRACTICING THE EXCUSE NOW.
I WILL ASK OUR LADY TO KEEP YOU SAFE FROM THE CLAWS OF SATAN WHERE YOU SEEM TO
BE FOR EXHIBITING SUCH TRASH.
from Janet DiCarlo
to almalopez310@gmail.com
date Tue, Apr 12, 2011 at 11:19 AM
subject Janet DiCarlo
mailed-by aol.com
hide details 11:19 AM
Dear Alma,
I was reading on your website that the criticism against your image of Our Lady was primarily from conservative men.
This is not true! I am a Catholic mother of two, and pretty much in the middle when it comes to politics. When I lived
in Los Angeles, I taught ESL to adults from all over the world. My Spanish speaking students, many of whom were
Catholics like myself, would be shocked to see our Blessed Virgin depicted in such an immodest way. I guess it's true
that sex sells, but dear Alma, could you, please, leave our Virgin Mary out of the marketing arena? Our little Catholic
girls, today, have few ladies to look up to. Is it asking too much for them to look up to a beautiful, CLOTHED
Blessed Mother?
Please rethink this artistic campaign. As a Sicilian Catholic, I am really saddened by these images of Our Lady.
Thank you and God bless you,
Janet DiCarlo