Zarco Guerrero, a Man of Many Faces in Mesa, AZ
Mask maker Zarco Guerrero uses his art as a tool for positive change in the community, celebrating cultural diversity.
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Guerrero has exhibited and received international acclaim and many prestigious awards. He’s the founder of Xico, Inc, the Cultural Coalition, Inc, and has been instrumental in the development of Latino Arts throughout the state of Arizona.
Watch the video above to learn more about Guerrero’s one-of-a-kind masks, or read the full interview transcription below (lightly edited for clarity).
Chicano Artist Zarco Guerrero
Zarco Guerrero (00:08) – My name is Zarco Guerrero. I’m from Mesa, Arizona, I’m a Chicano artist. I do sculpture, and I do mask making. And I celebrate our vibrant cultural diversity here in the Valley.
(00:25) – I work in various mediums. Here in my studio, it’s obvious that I do a lot of wood carving. I have in the past. I was on a mission for many years to carve as many masks in as many different styles as I could.
(00:43) – Why mask? Because it allows us to disappear. When I put on a mask, I feel like I’m disappearing. Zarco’s gone. Now it’s that character who has to be brought to life. So the mask conceals who I am. But now it reveals another character.
The Art of Mask Making
ZG (01:08) – Two hardest parts are getting started because, you know, regardless of how many decades I’ve been doing this, there’s always some apprehension. Am I going to be able to do this the way I see it? So you begin with that, but that very quickly fades. And you know, the enthusiasm to get it done.
(01:32) – And before you know it, you reach a point where… yeah, this is finished, or this is as far as I can take it. And getting to that point is a little bit difficult. But that’s part of being an artist. You can’t just start something, you have to finish it.
(01:52) – Well, my favorite part is, when I make a mask, making it is one thing, but to have someone wear the mask, and for that person to bring the mask to life. That’s where I really get my thrills from, from seeing that. And now this inanimate object is dancing, is breathing, is moving, is chanting. To me, it’s fascinating. It’s like creating, making my own movies.
Celebration of Cultural Diversity
ZG (02:22) – Art can be a tool to do many things. And I think we want to use it as a tool for positive change in our community. What’s fascinating about this community and probably many communities around the country, is what I call a renaissance, a rebirth of cultural celebration, and especially amongst families of Mexican descent.
(02:46) – And what’s fascinating is that a lot of these kids, these young kids, they don’t speak Spanish. They’ve never been to Mexico, and many times their parents were born in this country, yet they have this love to celebrate Mexican culture. zarkmask.com
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11 June 2015
UPDATE on Rancho del Arte: Stunning Artwork Changes Streetscape of New Urban Downtown Mesa
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| Mandalas by Mesa Artist Zarco Guerrero |
In fact it was the second posting that started me off highlighting new infill development that is regenerating the original downtown as transit-oriented affordable living attracting new residents along the path of the Valley Metro Central Mesa Lightrail Extension.
The image to the left was snapped on Monday, June 8th after many times this huge installation caught my eye going out of town or returning watching as construction by Icon Builders was progressing in the last couple of months.
It is eye-catching on a macro-scale with its monumental size announcing the name of the building as well as the composition incorporating the universal mandalas designed by long-time resident and local artist Zarco Guerrero who spoke highly of the investor/developer Community Development Partners CEO Eric Paine for his initiative to involve the work of a Mesa artist in the ironwork design with a series of meetings to talk about the project that's part of the regeneration of the New Urban Downtown Mesa. . .
It took yours truly far too long to realize this not too long ago in a trip to not-so-far away Mexico and Mexico City where the days come alive all over again for more than a week. One day just doesn't do it, especially here in a city like Mesa where there is an historical dis-connect with our shared histories - it's just not only the history and short-sighted stories after the arrival of The Pioneers from Utah who call settlements of earlier and First Peoples "Pre-History".
Here to the right there is just one >
Street performance-art from The Cultural Coalition, a local group that updates, re-vitalizes and brings cultures together that remind us who we are today.
Cultural Coalition, Inc., provides unique cultural programs which foster community engagement and are dedicated to the education, promotion, and development of Indigenous arts and artists in Arizona. For more information, visit http://www.culturalcoalition.com
He has dedicated his artistic endeavors to create positive social change through the arts. He adopted Cesar Chavez's ideology of art as a social service. His art includes music, poetry and theatre.
- He is the founder of Xicanindio Artes (now Xico, Inc.), the Cultural Coalition, Inc., and has been instrumental in the development of Latino Arts statewide.
- He has exhibited and received international acclaim and many prestigious awards.
- In 1985, PBS broadcast a one hour documentary about his art entitled "The Mask of El Zarco".
- He received the Japan Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Arizona Governors Arts Award, the Artistic Excellence Award from American Hispanics in Higher Education and the Esperanza Teacher of the Year Award among many others.
- He also won the 2012 Ari-Zoni Award for his ground breaking work as a mask maker in Childsplay's 2011 production of The Sun Serpent.
- He is the recipient of the Doris Duke Foundation grant to present theatre to Latino communities in Arizona
- 2015 Master Fellow with the Southwest Folklife Alliance.
https://twitter.com/zarcoguerrero
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Zarco Guerrero: The Origin Of Dia De Los Muertos on Vimeo
https://vimeo.com/110700448
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5th Annual Luncheon Honorees - Carmen & Zarco Guerrero Vignette
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