Art Exhibition, Fundraiser, Celebration

 WHAT: Four Winds Gallery in Old Town will host a special event exhibiting the drawings, paintings, murals of local San Diego artist and activist Salvador Roberto “Queso” Torres.  The collection will cover a period of 30+ years from the 1960’s to present including work that emerged from the farm workers movement led by Cesar Chavez and the Chicano art & mural movement of the 1970’s.

 Event will feature a special artist’s presentation, a video clip presentation commemorating the Coronado Bridge featuring Torres, music, food donated by Café Coyote, and a raffle to win art pieces and a personal tour by Torres of Chicano Park.

 WHEN: Saturday, July 11th, 2009. Art Opening/Gallery hours10:a.m.-10: p.m: Artists’ Presentation 6p.m./Video Presentation 8p.m.
 WHERE: Four Winds Gallery-2448 San Diego Ave-Old Town

 WHY: Salvador Roberto “Queso” Torres, born in 1936, spent the majority of his first six years on a cotton plantation in Northern California-remembering using the “short hoe” as he worked alongside his parents in the fields at this very young age. In 1942, the Torres family started a new life in Barrio Logan. It is at this time that his experiences formed close to heart his dedication to the community, as his home was one of dozens that were bulldozed to make way for the construction of the Coronado Bridge. Torres chose to take on the challenge of “making something tragic into something beautiful”, and thus began a life time of work and dedication to the creation of incredible mural art, the transformation of Chicano Park, and to Barrio Logan.

 Torres has constructed 6 major murals in San Diego, as well as facilitated the creation and application of a majority of murals, most notably those found in Chicano Park. Described as “the most important Mexican American artist and Chicano Activist of his generation” by Jorge Mariscal, Prof. of Literature at UCSD, Torres ‘s track record includes picketing and marching for farm worker’s rights, teaching art and mural art to children, and of being the creator of one of the most recognized symbols of Chicano/Chicana Civil Rights Movement-the “Viva La Raza” series with the image of a red phoenix rising.