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GUESTS: Timoi, exhibiting artist, Victoria Delgadillo, curator

More than ten years following the Guatemalan peace accords which ended a decade long genocidal war, Guatemalan women are still searching for peace. Since the beginning of 2003, 2,300 women have been brutally murdered. Some of the victims are as young as seven years old. Violence against Guatemalan women shows no signs of slowing as over a hundred murders were committed in the first two months of 2007 alone. Only a minuscule fraction of the crimes have been prosecuted. But there have been even fewer actual convictions as police investigations have been inadequate. The murders are often times exceptionally brutal with victims showing signs of torture, mutilation, and dismemberment, reminiscent of similar murders of women in Juarez, Mexico. In order to raise awareness to the issue of this Guatemalan “femicide,” Sol Art Gallery and Café are hosting, “Espejo,” an exhibition of protest, this weekend. The day long event will feature a panel discussion, a documentary film screening, and art exhibit reception. The exhibited artwork will be on sale and a portion proceeds will go to benefit Mujeres Iniciando en las Americas.

Lucia Munoz of Mujeres Iniciando en las Americas is taking a delegation in November 2007 to Guatemala. November is “No Violence Against Women” Month. To find out more, call 714-915-3805.

Event information:

Event: ESPEJO: Exhibicion de Protesta para las mujeres de Guatemala/ Santa Ana speaks out against femicide in Guatemala

WHEN: Saturday, May 12, 2007
WHERE: The SolArt Gallery Cafe, 511 E. Santa Ana Blvd. Santa Ana, CA
FOR MORE INFO: www.myspace.com/solartgallerycafe

3pm – The Dynamics of Violence Against Women in Guatemala: panel discussion with Macarena Gomez-Barris, Author/Assistant Professor of Sociology at USC; Lucia Munoz, Executive Director of Mujeres Iniciando en las Americas (MIA); and Azelea V. Ryckman, Activist/Radio Host of KPFK’s Mujeres Abriendo Camino

5pm – Screening of Discovering Dominga (2003, 58min) a powerful documentary film by Patricia Flynn and Mary Jo McConahay. Living in Iowa, survivor Denise Becker returns home to Guatemala reclaiming her life and demanding justice.

7pm – Espejo - Art Exhibit Reception/Artist Talk: Featuring the work of: Reynaldo Acevedo, Francisco Alberto, Eduardo Alfaro, Arturo Aranda, Mario Avila, Milton Avilez, Espartacus Cacao, Rafael Escamilla, Guillermo Fuentes, Alfredo Gonzalez, Pedro Kruthuz, Azul Luna, Rigo Maldonado, Cecilia Marmol, Ricardo O’Meany, Shakina Nayfack, Nery Orellana, Camilo Otero, Alvaro Rosales, Victor Rosas, Alicia Maria Sue and Timoi. Curator: Victoria Delgadillo

The artwork will be available for purchasing, a portion of the sale for the benefit of Mujeres Iniciando en las Americas (MIA).