A (2:53)

I understand Mexfess is there to not only honor those who have passed, but also to honor those who are separated from loved ones.

D (3:01)

Would you tell us a little bit more about that?

C (3:02)

Yeah, for sure. Lots of us, including myself and Christian, were immigrants, so there's a lot that we've left behind. And at times, you know, there's a passing in our countries, and we cannot go back. So it's a way of, you know, remembering while we're here in a different new home, but also just, you know, keeping the connection with the people that are left in different countries.

D (3:29)

Christian, Last year, Mex Fest was presented at the Tank, which is an Off Off Broadway performance venue. This year, it's having its inaugural edition at Flushing Town Hall.

E (3:41)

That's exciting.

B (3:42)

It is.

D (3:43)

First of all, how did Mex Fest come to be?

B (3:45)

You know, as a Mexican immigrant? Being here, the prominent Latino cultures, Latin cultures, are Dominican and Puerto Rican. And I grew up in. I was born in Mexico, but I grew up in Texas and California, where Mexican culture is celebrated a lot. So I didn't see that here. And I wanted to work with New York artists that are celebrating Mexican culture. Not meaning you have to be Mexican, but just celebrating the culture in a way. And we had. Last year, we had performance art, puppetry, theater. We had everything but an art exhibition. Arancha is an amazing performance artist, and her piece last year was incredible. And in the piece, there were sempasuchi flowers, which, interestingly, we were talking about this today, that the tie into how it evolved into this festival is just. There's no coincidence.

D (4:32)

Yeah. People should go on your website, by the way.

C (4:34)

Thank you.

D (4:36)

Why did you decide to bring it to Flushing Town Hall? Why was that the right place to have it?

C (4:41)

I think this is where Christian, my collaborator, is currently working and has a strong tie. But also there's a beautiful community in this area of Queens, and we also want to be close to the community, invite more people from the community, and really celebrate with everyone in the community. Everything in the event that we're doing is participatory, so we're inviting people to bring mementos. But also in the writing workshop, we're inviting people to write and then create a mural with us so that in the action of writing and creating this communal mural, everyone's seeing our stories and we're becoming part of one.

D (5:20)

Yeah, Christian, I wanted to ask you about that because people hear the loss of loved ones, and there's sort of a sadness, there's a grief, but there's also a joy in this celebration. Could you tell me about how you balance both?

B (5:33)

This is personal to me. I've lost all my family, my immediate family, and they've been gone for a while. So this tradition has really supported, you know, me and kept their. It's one day that we do this, but for me, it's every day. And, you know, it is celebratory. I think that in this country, it can be very sad. It can be sort of. We don't talk about death a lot. And with our Mexican tradition, and it's, you know, it's an indigenous tradition, we keep their stories and their memories. They're always with us, so celebrating them and, you know, all you have to do is reach out and they're there. That's my belief.

D (6:12)

This weekend, Flushing Town hall is hosting a Dia de los Muertos celebration honoring those who have passed and those who have separated from one of us through immigration. As part of Mex Fest, we're speaking with co artistic directors Christian Avila and Arantxa Arahu Arantia. Can you talk about the theme of resilience? Sure.

C (6:33)

We chose to do theme of resilience because, as we've been talking, is a very difficult thing. Right. It's kind of like changing the idea that when we lose someone, they're not there anymore, but they are still there. We're keeping their memories alive by remembering them, but also celebrating their lives and understanding that energies evolve. So when we lose someone, that energy has evolved. They're still with us. And in a way, this ritual, this understanding, is making us all stronger. And there's a lot of learning on the way.

B (7:12)

And can I chime in, please? And Arancha mentioned this earlier, but, you know, this is about people that are. That have passed on, that are deceased. But also there's many people here in this country right now that are in the process of staying here, whatever that means, and they're physically separated from their loved ones. And so we are inviting all of that as well, and to again, to remember, to celebrate and to be in community where all of your emotions are allowed and valid.

A (7:40)

Let's take a call. Brenda is calling in from Princeton. Hi, Brenda. Thank you for making the time to.

D (7:46)

Call all of it.

A (7:46)

You're on the air.

F (7:48)

Hi. Thank you for taking my call. Yeah, I just wanted to share. Yeah. I live in a mixed heritage household and I have small children. So we set up our own little altar with these orange pumpkins and fruit. And my mom helped us find the flowers of San Pasuchil. The kids created arts and crafts that are like Mexican themed. And we have pictures of their grandparents and sugar skulls. And our art center in Princeton area has a day of the Dead celebration tomorrow, so we'll be heading there as well. So. Yeah. And I wanted to say thank you for keeping in mind all the immigrant families that are being separated.

A (8:29)

Thank you so much for calling in.

D (8:30)

We really appreciate it. Tell me what you think art and performance does in this space. When you're talking about healing communities or celebrating communities, what do you think?

B (8:45)

I think you're allowing to express your feelings. Art is a way to express what you're feeling and also for others to join that.

A (8:57)

Also.

B (8:57)

It's very communal as well. It is sort of this place where it is. Where you can. It's very personal and also communal.

D (9:03)

That's what you're saying earlier, that it is. It's like a time when you can get together and you can understand each other a little bit better, and the art can help you express yourself a little bit better, I think.

C (9:13)

Yeah. And it's also, if I may add, an act of looking in, understanding what's happening, how am I feeling, and then an ability to express that out. And in the expression, there's impression in the other, so the other understands that person better. And there's like huge understanding that happens with the community. And, you know, feeling seen is something so beautiful and so important, you know, to combat the erasure that we're living through.

B (9:42)

And can I talk about safety a little bit? Because we can't guarantee safety, especially right now, but we're doing everything we can to keep this place as safe as possible. And one of the activities that we're doing is a testimonial film. And we're asking the participants to wear these beautiful paper mache masks that one of our collaborators, Aurelia Fernandez, has made. And it's a way to sort of have the tradition, but also to keep them safe so they can fully express whatever story they want to tell, whatever process they're in. So we're thinking about that a lot.

D (10:14)

This is a beautiful text. At my former community garden in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, we held some Dia de los Muertos events that were amazing. Honoring ancestry was something folks from so many different cultures that can relate to. It's also so fascinating that many indigenous cultures from mesoamerica to Ireland, etc. See this time of year as a time when the barrier between our world and the spirit world is more permeable. That's an interesting conversation.

C (10:43)

Very interesting conversation. And I have to say that we're trying to bring some of that to Rituales de Resiliencia. And, for example, one of the works that we're exhibiting is from an artist from Filipino culture.

D (10:55)

Yes.

C (10:56)

So it's really beautiful to see, you know, how different cultures speak to one another and, like, how some of these rituals are experienced by other cultures.

D (11:05)

Let's talk about some of the things that people can do. There's going to be a papel picado, a Mexican folk art. It's sort of. Well, you describe it.

B (11:15)

It's a process of making these, like, imprints in the paper, and then we. And then you hang it. So it's a process of making the paper and then hanging it. And that is a tradition, indigenous art. And Aurelia will be doing that.

C (11:29)

And Aurelia also said something so beautiful, we have papel picado in the altar in the ofrenda. And she mentioned that whenever this papel picado is moving is because, you know, the spirits of our loved ones are there. So all of a sudden, I was like, I got chills, you know.

B (11:46)

You know the monarch butterflies that make their migration to Mexico around this time. That is said that it's a spirit's coming and to visit us during these days. So there's a lot of.

D (11:57)

Oh, that's beautiful.

A (11:59)

You mentioned the writing workshop. Tell us a little bit more about that.

C (12:02)

Yeah. So I'm so excited about these. Basically, we have a bunch of prompts to help people go in and look in so that people can start writing something. It could be a conversation to your own self. It could be a conversation to a loved one. It could be a list of items that your loved one used. It could be anything. A poem, a calaverita, which is a traditional Mexican form of writing. We'll be talking about that in the workshop. But the. The idea is that we imprint these writings in a mural. So we're gonna be creating a mural through the whole month, almost like street art, almost like Mexican muralism. And it's gonna be there forever. So then eventually, after the exhibition closes, we're gonna paint over it. But that means that that writing is gonna be there forever.

A (12:49)

Christiane. There's gonna be performances later in the evening. There's gonna be some dance lessons. Fill me in.

B (12:56)

So it's gonna be a dance lesson. You know, we want to mix traditional with contemporary. That's what Mix Fest is all about. And also Flushing Town Hall. So Linda EPO is a Queen's native, a Flushing native, and her unique brand of Latin fused funk and R and b. She's going to be performing first after the dance lesson. And then we have Oliver Opalino and Mariachi Tapatillo. He's a fifth generation mariachi musician continuing the legacy of his pirating father who brought the tradition from Puebla. And he's performed at Carnegie hall, at Radio City and now Flushing Town Hall. So we're mixing this very traditional art form of mariachi with Linda's contemporary funk. And she's a Flushing and Queen's native.

A (13:37)

Let's listen to a little bit of Linda.

G (13:51)

Every single time I breath do you see me poetry? Is it in the way that I smile or the way I make you feel? The warmth of your body I see crystal clear Take a swim in your waters Crashing in your head.

A (14:17)

And then you mentioned Alvaro Polina Jr.

B (14:20)

She has such a beautiful voice.

A (14:21)

She does. Yes, she does.

B (14:23)

Yes. And Alvaro Paulino will be. He's headlining the mariachi. His band. His band. And he's been here for five generations.

A (14:33)

Let's listen to him.

D (15:11)

Before we run out of time. Tell me what else visitors can expect for the rest of the month.

B (15:19)

We have an amazing continuing the Mexican tradition, we have Navidad and Christmas by Calpuli Mexican Dance Company. That's gonna be in December. We have a mashup coming up on November 21st with Sephirin and Garifuna Dance Ensemble. So those are two things that are coming up with Flushing Town Hall.

D (15:40)

Did I forget to ask you anything? Something you want to tell me about what's gonna happen today, tomorrow or the month ahead? Tough. Flushing Town Hall.

C (15:49)

I mean, I think we covered a lot of things. Just want to encourage everyone to come. Show love, celebrate your loved ones. And thank you for listening.

B (15:59)

And can we offer a discount to all the listeners for tomorrow?

E (16:03)

Sure.

B (16:05)

25% off for the code FTH25.

D (16:09)

Love that. Christiane Avila and Aranta Arajo, thank you so much for joining us and talking about Mex Festival.

B (16:16)

Thank you so much.

C (16:17)

Thank you.

B (16:17)

Appreciate you.

E (16:19)

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