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Miguel Covarrubias was one of the most famous artists of his day, but chances are you’ve never heard of him. The illustrator, caricaturist, anthropologist, author and educator, was widely recognized in his home country of Mexico in the early 1920s, when he emigrated to New York at age 19. Lacking formal art education, he gained quickly made a name for himself and began illustrating in various major magazines including New York World and Vanity Fair. Covarrubias, who inspired such artists like Al Hirschfield, was fascinated by the Harlem Renaissance – he did a series of drawings of Harlem night clubs and moved in circles with Langston Hughes and Josephine Baker. Covarrubias was also known for his books on pre-Columbian art and the culture of Bali, gaining respect from ethnologists and archaeologists. In fact he is credited as being the first visual anthropologist, for his artistic documentation of the people of Bali. This Sunday, art historian and international lecturer Gregorio Luke will present a lecture about Miguel Covarrubias as part of a series of talks called Murals under the stars.

GUEST: Gregorio Luke, expert on Mexican and Latin American art and culture, former Director of the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach

Gregorio Luke’s lecture will be on Sunday, August 24th at 8:30 p.m, concluding the season of Murals Under the Stars at the Museum of Latin American Art, 628 Alamitos Avenue, Long Beach. For tickets call MoLAA at 562-437-1689.

The lecture will incorporate live performers including a classic jazz band, two Balinese dancers, a Josephine Baker impersonator and a full company of Tehuana dancers from Oaxaca.