Happenings at Phoenix Art Museum
Vibe
¡!
Anaya says
Courtesy of Phoenix Art Museum
The fastestmoving train By Catherine Anaya
Seven years ago, I did a story for
Detail, painting of Krishna and Radha under an Umbrella. India, 19th century. Ink and color on paper; 8 3/8 x 6 3/8 in. (20.8 x 16.1 cm). Collection of Phoenix Art Museum, Gift of George P. Bickford.
Religion through artistic, literary vision Drawing from the collections of
Phoenix Art Museum and several prominent private collections, Sacred Word and Image: Five World Religions features the written word and painted image as expressed in the cultures of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity throughout the past 1500 years. The variety of materials used to document mankind’s significant thoughts and beliefs during this long span of time is astonishing: paper, palm leaf, vellum, wood, lacquer, metal and ivory. In some instances, complete illustrated manuscripts allow us to understand the original artistic and literary vision of the scribe and illustrator. Other examples preserve the decorative and illustrative images, which tell a visual story that is linked to one of the major tenets of a religious faith. These beautifully created sacred objects were used in rituals and celebrations within their religious traditions. In an age when the printed word and image have been translated into electronic form, it is revelatory to see how past civilizations used the means available at the time to create lasting documents of their wishes and hopes for a better world, both now and in the next realm. Sacred Word and Image: Five World Religions January 4 – March 25, 2012 To learn more, visit phxart.org.
CBS 5 News and Latino Perspectives about AGUILA Youth Leadership Institute (AGUILA). The mission of AGUILA: to increase the number of Arizona’s Latino youth getting into college and graduating with a degree. The program’s architect Rosemary Ybarra-Hernandez asked me to speak to the group about the importance of higher education. That first year, in 2004, I gathered with several dozen high school students in a small room at the Burton Barr Library in Phoenix. Rosemary’s enthusiasm and passion were contagious. She was like a mother hen to the students who were ready to make her proud. Every student in that room knew much was expected of them. The highlight for me was watching the eagerness in their faces and hearing in their voices the same enthusiasm and willingness to work hard, knowing full well that education is the key to unlocking the doors to opportunity. AGUILA has grown by incredible leaps and bounds since then—from 42 students to 257 students today. Four hundred students who stayed with the program entered 55 colleges and universities across the country, including MIT, Brown and USC. Of those 400 students, 42 have earned their degrees, with the remaining on track to graduate; three are in graduate school with 10 preparing to enter graduate studies. The success is beyond even Rosemary’s wildest dreams. “I have gone through
many Kleenex boxes in this job, [from] sheer frustration in dealing with the many barriers that attempt to keep our brilliant people ‘in their place,’ to incredible joy when I receive phone calls, emails, texts and Facebook notices about admission, scholarships, internships and those precious messages of gratitude,” she tells me. Rosemary still invites me to speak to AGUILA students about staying the course and working hard to meet their goals. She likes to refer to AGUILA as the “fastest-moving train” in Arizona and I couldn’t agree more. Recently, I was honored to be named an inaugural Friend of AGUILA for my commitment and support of its mission. I do so because had my mother not instilled the value of higher education early on, I might not have considered a college degree a possibility or critical to a successful future. Many of our Latino youth aren’t so fortunate. It is up to all of us as professionals, community leaders, parents, friends and neighbors to continue supporting AGUILA because, to quote one AGUILA student, “If Arizona expects more, then they need to give us more— more encouragement, more guidance, more trust, more opportunities—and model, truly model for us what it means to be a good person.” It seems much is expected of us, too. Catherine Anaya anchors CBS 5 News weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6 and 10 p.m. She is a mother of two, a marathon runner and a motivational speaker. Reach her at canaya@kpho.com, on Facebook, Twitter and at catherineanaya.com.
latinopm.com
¡ January 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
17