Madre Tierra Press
handprinted book featuring thirteen Chicana artists
developed and coordinated by Linda Vallejo with Susan E. King, WGC Studio Director
Women’s Building Graphic Center
Los Angeles, CA
December 12, 1982
MTP Book
Offset, Letterpress and Silkscreen Limited Edition Fine Art Portfolio developed and coordinated by Linda Vallejo with Susan E. King, WGC Studio Director. A written and visual work by a collective of thirteen Chicana Women in conjunction with the Women’s Graphic Center. Made possible in part by grants from the National Endowment of the Arts and the California Arts Council.
ARTISTS
Juanita Cynthia Alaniz, Osa de la Riva, Cecilia Castaneda Quintero, Yreina Cervantes, Olivia Sanchez Brown, Josefina Gallardo,Susan E. King, Judy Miranda, Mary Helen Ponce, Rosemary Quesada-Weiner, Naomi Quinonez, Anita Rodriguez, Olivia Sanchez, Sylvia Zaragoza-Wong and Linda Vallejo.
Madre Tierra: una idea, una exposición, una publicación, La Opinión, by Shifra M. Goldman, January 1983 (Spanish)
Madre Tierra: a concept, an exhibit, a publication, La Opinión, by Shifra M. Goldman, January 1983 (English)
Linda Vallejo, Project Coordinator and Master Printer
Madre Tierra represents each of us as women, our mothers and our children. She is the Mother who shelters and protects all of us. If you look deeply into yourself you will find the threads of Madre Tierra woven into your very being.
In June of 1982, I was asked by the Women’s Graphic Center to coordinate the publication of a book by twelve Chicana Women Artists. It occurred to me in these times of economic pressure and lack of support for the arts, that the women artists of my community needed a professional publications of their works as well as collective support and networking.
In the Madre Tierra Project, each woman was asked to respond to the concept of Madre Tierra, the ‘Great Mother,’ in her life. During a series of collective meetings and individual printing sessions, each woman was asked to express her beliefs to the group and finally to design and print a visual image or written work that would reflect her Madre Tierra experience.
This publication was completed by a collective of Chicana artists speaking about themselves as women, the women in their family and their beliefs about Chicana creativity and spirituality.
Acknowledgements
This project was produced in conjunction with the Women’s Graphic Center at the Woman’s Building in Los Angeles, June 1982 through December 1982.
Madre Tierra Press represents eight months of dedication, creativity and hard work on the part of a large collective of artists and printers. It is here that special thanks is given to all of the people who gave so generously of their time and professionalism.
Layout of Introductory Pages: Jane Thurmond, Sue Maberry, Susan E. King and Linda Nishio.
Photographs: Laura Aguilar, Rosemary Quesada-Weiner and Judy Miranda
Offset Printing: Laurel Beckman, Helix Press
Zinc Plates: Central Photo Engraving
Halftones: Carl Nacca, Nacca-Lith
Special help from Joe and Anita Holguin and La Nueva Chicana/Home-Girl Productions
Madre Tierra Press, originally published in collaboration with the Women’s Building in 1982, was included in Doin’ It in Public: Art and Feminism at the Woman’s Building which opened at the Ben Maltz Gallery in October 2011 as part of the Getty Research initiative in Southern California, Pacific Standard Time: Art in Los Angeles 1945-1980. This exhibition focused on large scale art projects and collectives that grew out of a relationship or alignment to WB programs and the 1980’s Women’s Building Graphic Center (WGC) business.
Madre Tierra Press event announcementASU Archives Las Fotos Project Partnership