Olga Ivette Manzo Vega
Location: College of DuPage
Hometown: Guerrero, Mexico
Sponsored by: Secretaría de cultura del estado de guerrero
Olga Ivette Manzano Vega, of mixed race, daughter of a dark-skinned father and a Black grandmother, born in Chilpancingo, Guerrero, in 1979, migrated to the city of Nezahualcóyotl, State of Mexico. I call my style and identity GuarreREnce. I began my career as a physical anthropologist at the National School of Anthropology and History in 1998. In 2002, I learned to work with communities thanks to the teacher Andrés Moctezuma Barragán, with the aim of preserving the cultural and natural heritage of our country. I have ventured into plastic arts as tools for an innovative methodology of appropriation and conservation of these. My work experience was carried out in different states of the republic from 2002 to 2010. I began my practice as a manager and promoter of Afro-Mexican culture since 2012, creator of the Raíz de la Ceiba project, where I generate creative actions that reinforce the memory and Afro-Mexican culture of the Costa Chica, having Cuajinicuilapa, Guerrero, as headquarters.
From 2018 to date, I began to participate in the creation of representative murals of Afro-Mexican culture. Among them are: the mural "Las Costas", the opening mural for the international exhibition "Afro Americans at the Centro de la Imagen" in Mexico City; the mural "Danza de la Libertad" for the Coastal Merequetengue of the National Museum of Popular Cultures; "La Travesía", mural for the exhibition "La Travesía, a Journey to the Heart of the Memory of the Afro-descendant Community of Portobelo" in Casco Viejo, Panama; and "El Viejo Ranero", a community mural in Portobelo in collaboration with the Bahía de Portobelo Foundation, Panama.
I also painted community murals for the Patios Culturales project in Cuajinicuilapa, Guerrero, in collaboration with the Secretary of Culture of the State of Guerrero. Additionally, I created the murals "Raíz Las Costas", the opening for the international exhibition "Afro Americans" at the Centro de las Artes in San Agustín Etla, Oaxaca, and "Costa Chica" of Oaxaca and Guerrero, and the mural "América XXI Casa América Catalunya" as part of the commemorative events for the 110 years of existence of Casa América Catalunya. I also was part of the headship of the cultural animation department at the National Museum of Popular Cultures in Coyoacán Borough.
In 2023, for the engravings of the southern engravers of Guerrero, at Demina Laboratorio of Arts Acapulco Guerrero, I carried out the exhibition "Espíritu del 22" in the last thematic nucleus of the show, called "Muralismo y Resistencia", with participation in the mural "La Muerte de las Culturas, el México Negro", in collaboration with Baltazar Castellano Melo and José Luis Hernández Guzmán, where current muralism is represented with relevant trajectories to produce works that, from inclusive and critical perspectives, echo the creative and avant-garde attitude that muralism had in its beginnings. I also participated in the mural "Ruta Mural Tecpán" and "Mural Bueno para Comer" in Tecpán de Galeana, Costa Grande region, as well as in "Por los Grabados del Sur", in Cabin 1 of the Los Pinos Cultural Complex, where I carried out the intervention "Ritual del Maíz" in the Monumental Olmec Head, which represents Guerrero's culture and identity and will be exhibited in Chicago, Illinois, from June 1 to November 4, 2024, as well as in the participating stadiums of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In 2024, I created two murals. The first, called "Reconstruction", at the Center for Latin American Studies; and the second, the mural "New Orleans", made at the University of New Orleans in collaboration between the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies of the UNO and the Mexico-United States Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (COMEXUS).
Title of Work: The Corn Rite "the roots of a warrior"
Description of Work: I was born in a state where freedom has been fought for since before what we now call our homeland was formed. In our state, we can say that there is memory. We are a strong tree that sows seeds wherever we go. Our root is strong, so much so that even though we have been brought to the city, it does not break; we continue seeking to return to that land where we germinated.
With this piece, I aim for relatives and fellow countrymen to see that history and that Guerrero identity that makes us who we are. I want the path of migration that forced us to leave our land NOT to take away our hearts, to remind us in the midst of these endless streets that made us think and feel that there was nothing beyond, that nothing could be found on the other side. But to see in this image the evocation of the countryside and the cornfield rekindles in our countrymen the faith that makes us believe that Guerrero does exist, that it exists among us and our nostalgia.
Guerrero is a place where the river, the sea, the mountain, the food, where in the air the smell of smoke is savored, that smell of the people as if it were hope. These are old stories told to us and retold by our grandparents, parents, and fellow countrymen that travel beyond the time and territory where we live and in their retelling become Guerrero. We are the people, the town, the hope. As Bartra says: "THE DREAMS OF ITS INHABITANTS ARE THE MORTAR WITH WHICH TOWNS ARE BUILT. TOWNS ARE SOWN, LIKE CORN FIELDS, LIKE PEOPLE."
We are wanderers, sowing the seed of memory. We are those who recognize our identity that becomes a town wherever we go. We are the murmur, the sound, the morning, the sunsets. We are those festivals and the ringing of bells that are in the memory and heart. Our voice is the sound of fireworks announcing the saint's festival, the songs. Even though it may sound trite, we must touch the ground, so that this dream becomes a reality.
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Timeline of Events
Artists in Mexico have begun painting and 15 national artists will arrive in May of 2024 to paint 15 heads here in DuPage County on-site at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage. This exciting international exhibition has already begun and will be completed in June of 2024.
Get Involved!
Artists can only participate by way of a sponsorship. Local, state and private institutions in the US or Mexico are invited to join in this unique opportunity to showcase modern-day murals reflecting Mexican American culture and regional interpretational art. We are confident that by participating in this project as a sponsor, you will be fulfilling the mission of your organization. Sponsors will be a part of a once in a lifetime opportunity to collaborate with multiple entities and organizations around North America, which can bring more awareness and support to your organization’s efforts. We are working together for one cultural, artistic, and educational purpose that will bring so many people together in a very unique way. Additionally, you will be supporting one of your local artists taking part in a major career opportunity that promises unique experiences, enhancement of their artistic skills, and a chance to display their talents on a monumental canvas. What an amazing opportunity!