CHICANO NOW: AMERICAN EXPRESSIONS – ARTIST PROFILES

Culture Clash, comedy troupe

Richard Montoya, Ric Salinas and Herbert Siguenza, the trio that make up Culture Clash, have appeared at theaters across the country, including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center and NY Public Theater, as well as colleges, universities and nightclubs.

Their work has been featured on the PBS Great Performance Series, on national television programs and in motion pictures.

Their work in theaters includes plays such as “The Mission,” “A Bowl of Beings,” “The Birds,” “Culture Clash in Bordertown” and more.

Giselle Fernández, journalist

As one of television’s most seasoned journalists, Giselle Fernandez is president of her own production company, Skinny Hippo Productions. The company develops programs for cable network television. Fernandez has several projects in the developmental stage, all of which are subjects close to her heart.

Currently, Fernandez is working with the A&E Network to produce a one-hour, weekly documentary show for The History Channel titled, “This Week in History.”

Fernandez has also launched her own maverick Internet company designed to meet the specific needs of Latinas on-line in America.

Known for her coverage of international news stories and major events, Fernandez made significant contributions to the CBS and NBC networks over the past decade. Fernandez is also a member of the Smithsonian National Board for Latino Initiatives.

Guillermo Gómez-Peña, artist and writer

A performance artist and writer, Gómez-Peña has explored the relationship between this country and Latinos through journalism, performance, video, poetry and radio. He founded and participated in “Border Arts Workshop,” and participated in the production of the “Crossroads” radio program. He has been a regular contributor to the national radio news magazine “All Things Considered” on National Public Radio. He has been an editor of “High Performance” magazine and “Drama Review,” and is a recipient of the Prix de la Parole at the International Theatre Festival of the Americas, a MacArthur Fellowship and more.

George López, comedian

George López is one of the premier comedic talents in the entertainment industry today. He is the co-creator, writer, producer and star of the ABC network and Warner Brothers Television produced sitcom, “George López.”

Lopez has made numerous appearances on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” “The Arsenio Hall Show,” “Entertainment Tonight” and other similar programs. López’ comedic style takes particular aim at exploding all types of stereotypes.

Lourdes Portillo, filmmaker

“Señorita Extraviada” (Missing Young Women) is a human rights documentary about the mysterious killings of young women in Juárez, México, and is the latest work of Lourdes Portillo. The Mexican-born and Chicana-identified filmmaker has earned an international reputation for pushing the boundaries of independent filmmaking.

Portillo’s films have focused on the search for Latino identity. She has worked in a richly varied range of forms, from television documentary to satirical video-film collage. Her other films include “Corpus: A Home Movie for Selena,” “Sometimes My Feet Go Numb,” and “The Devil Never Sleeps.”

Paul Rodríguez, comedian

Paul made his directorial debut with the film “A Million to Juan,” and also co-wrote and starred in the contemporary adaptation of the Mark Twain story “The Million Pound Bank Note.” Paul’s previous television creations include a variety of highly rated shows: “Paul Rodriguez Behind Bars” and “Crossing Gang Lines,” both for Fox, and “I Need the Couch” for HBO.

Paul followed up a “Million to Juan” by expanding his role as executive producer of HBO’s “Loco Slam,” a series of four 30-minutes comedy specials featuring the best Latino stand-up comedians in the United States. Soon after “Loco Slam” aired, HBO asked Paul to executive produce and host his own one-hour special from San Quentin State Penitentiary, “Paul Rodriquez Live In San Quentin.”

Paul’s own company, Paul Rodríquez Productions (PRP), is a production company dedicated to developing and producing Latino film and television projects. Three of a handful of projects currently in development with PRP are films written by Rodriguez, “Panchostein,” a modern day twist on the sci-fi classic, “A Lady in the Hood,” is a cross between “Angels in the Outfield” and the “Apparition”of Lourdes,” and “The Big Show,” a Latino-stylized combo version of “Pulp Fiction” and “Get Shorty.”

Robert Rodríguez, filmmaker

Guerilla filmmaker and director Robert Rodríguez won national acclaim for producing “El Mariachi,” a feature-length film, for $7,000. He has gone on to produce a range of successful movies, including “Desperado,” “From Dusk Till Dawn,” “The Faculty,” and most recently the blockbuster hit “Spy Kids” through Columbia Pictures. “Spy Kids” featured films stars such as Antonio Banderes, Selma Hayak, Quentin Tarantino and Cheech Marin.

Gustavo Vazquez, film and videomaker

Vazquez is a film and videomaker whose credits include “El Charal” (The Minnow) and “The Great Mojado Invasion.” He has served as Festival Director for the San Antonio CineFestival and curated “Mexico Videowaves,” a series of contemporary videos by Mexican artists for The Exploratorium in San Francisco.

For additional information on this Chicano article, please contact:

Mike Kempf
(210) 599-0045
mike@evergreenexhibitions.com

Source: Evergreen Exhibitions
http://www.mikekempf.wpengine.com