Exhibit Promotes Art, Education and Local Artists

Paintings, drawings and woodblock paintings - many shaded in predominant hues of green - glowed on display during the opening reception of the March Festival Art Exhibit at the National Orange Show Art Gallery on Saturday, March 7. The artworks are the displays of artists from the Inland Empire Latino Art Association, a group of artists based locally who host the month-long event, which this year runs from March 1 through March 31, to help promote and support the arts as well as education. "We want to set a good example to kids in the area, and let them know that you can make it through the arts: visual, graphic or even performing. It can be done with hard work," said Chairman Rudy Ramirez, an alumnus of both San Bernardino Valley College and Cal State San Bernardino, where he earned a bachelor's degree in fine arts in 1977. The art pieces on display in the gallery - which the association helped open three years ago and has since held a public art display every year - depict several different styles of art, ranging from surrealism, to abstract, to traditional art and everything between, shared Ramirez. Participating artists are all Inland Empire Latino Art Association members, including Ramirez, Ernest Colunga, Herlinda Romero, Theresa Hernandez, William Borges Villalta, Johnniemarie Solis, Elizabeth J. Flores, Nick Bejarano, Marilou Santiago, Tom "Bear" Ramirez, Efren Montiel and Ray Zamorano. Many of the art pieces were depicted in shades of green, explained Ramirez, to represent the coming spring season and which symbolizes the month of March. The association promotes the work of local Latino artists and provides a space for the artists to work together, inspire each other and receive feedback on their work, explained Ramirez. The group saw its foundation in 1985 when Drs. Tom and Lilly Rivera invited Inland Empire-based Latino artists to exhibit their work at their home in Grand Terrace. Four of these artists - Ernie Colunga, Roberto Garcia, Saul Hernandez and Ramirez - wanted to continue exhibiting their work and co-founded the Inland Empire Latino Art Association, with the late Roberto Garcia serving as the group's first chairman. Colunga has served as the group's treasurer since its inception. In May 1991 the group curated an Open Invitational Art Exhibit at the National Orange Show's Kaiser Dome Building through the sponsorship of Drs. Ernie and Dottie Garcia. The next year, the IELAA held its first art exhibit at the Norman Feldheym Central Library. The group also exhibits artwork at the library in September, during Hispanic Heritage Month, shared Ramirez, alongside exhibits at the San Bernardino County Government Center, the Historic California Theater of the Performing Arts, participating in last year’s Calaveras Project, and the Arts & Music Festival at California State University San Bernardino last May. "Overall, we just want to work to promote the arts and education," said Ramirez, whose medium of choice includes acrylics on canvas, watercolor, colored pencil, or combining these methods for mixed media pieces. The exhibit is free and open to the public from noon to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays at the National Orange Show Art Gallery, 689 South E Street in San Bernardino. Those who wish to view the exhibit during the week may call Ramirez at 951-544-1723.