Corazon de Los Angeles Seeking Local Latino Artists for New Showcases This Year

It might be difficult to find a place that offers as much visual stimulation under one roof as Corazon de Los Angeles has been. They've been doing so for about two years now, and as the market grows, as does the need for more artists.

The store is located in the Olvera Street Marketplace in downtown Los Angeles, and to say it's connected to its Mexican roots is an understatement.

The place showcases local works by Latino artists and also imports things directly from Mexico. While the market includes items like pottery, handmade pillows, and home decor, the most important item is the art.

One artist, Julia Palacio, recently offered up her Frida dolls during Corazon's annual Frida Kahlo show. The show was dedicated  to the beloved Mexican artist, and displayed her in various poses.

The local artist George Yepes showed his "Frida A Toda Madre" portrait during the show. In that work, Yepes decided to give Kahlo a decidedly chola lean, complete with gothic letters printed across the canvas on top of Kahlo.The Mexican painter was giving off a sideways glance in the portrait, complete with a bandana straight from the barrio on her head.

And it's Yepes who is perhaps one of the stars of Corazon. He's also a familiar art presence there, bringing his underground, yet sometimes commercial works to the venue. It's here that visitors could catch work he did for the upcoming Robert Rodriguez movie, "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For".

The painting is done in Yepes' signature eerie red style, with a touch of the barrio gangster essence that permeates all of this works.

The Yepes originals are at home along with the reproductions by Daniel Esparza. The painters images of the skulled La Calavera Catrina (the famous elegant skull woman) and other images of sensual and menacing women are offered there.

The skulls are common in the shop. With their connection to Aztec culture and the celebration of life as well as death, Corazon has built a reputation on celebrating artists whose work may be considered underground, but with the deepest roots in Chicano and Mexican-American culture.

Take artist Rosie Guajardo, for example. Her art often uses the image of the calavera and gives it new life through paper mache and other materials. Her recent work, "The Soul's Night", shows a Calavera praying -- an unusual image, to say the least.

As Corazon continues to grow and celebrate local artists, especially those whose work celebrates the Latino customs and spirit, the shop will be opening its doors to submissions from other artists who want to gain some type of foothold in the art world.

The first open call is for "Frida Inspired", a showcase that runs  through Aug. 22. It's followed by a Hispanic Heritage Month tribute called "The Story of Us" which opens in September and will feature photography as well.

During the annual Dia de los Muertos celebration in October, an alter will be set up to feature gallery submissions.

Finally, the last exhibit of the year will be called Virgins y Madonnas. More exhibits are scheduled heading into 2015 at the venue, located at Main Street at 634 N. Main in Los Angeles.