A&O Meetup in Toledo: Fernando Botero, on March 19, 2011

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Ernest Disney-Britton

OHIO - On Saturday, March 19, Alpha Omega Arts will lead a group to experience The Baroque World of Fernando Botero at the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio. A modern day religious art master, the touring exhibition includes approximately 100 objects including many with religious themes. Ohio is the show's final stop and the only Midwest venue.

"All of the objects in the exhibition are from Botero's private collection...he uses very well known iconography such as Christ on the cross in Crucifix  and Adam and Eve in a diptych by the same name," said Kelly Fritz Garrow, Director of Communications at the Toledo Museum of Art. She also told AOA that the museum was reaching out to the Hispanic community to see the Colombian artist's work including "by having all the labels and exhibition graphics in both English and Spanish."

Known for creating larger-than-life, sometimes considered "fat" figures of people and animals in informal, formal and religious settings his works have a vibrancy inspired by the energy of the Baroque period in art merged with Latin culture. Fellow Latino and painter, Tony Melendez was one of the first to sign-up for AOA's March 19 tour to Toledo, explaining, "Some years ago a feminist art critic took him to task for portraying women the way he does. His intent was completely lost of her. His response was, 'When you sell a painting for $350,000, then you can talk to me.'  Ah bitchery and sarcasm, what would we do without them?"

Botero's work is complex and humorous as in his portrait of Adam and Eve. The trip to Toledo will be a long but inspiring day. Carpooling will begin in Indianapolis at 5:00 a.m. and everyone will meet at the Toledo Museum of Art at 10:00 a.m. (Tickets are $15 but AOA has a $2 discount). The AOA group will have an early lunch at the museum followed by a self-guided tour of the exhibition, and a guided tour that afternoon of a related exhibition of Baroque prints. The day concludes with dinner at Mi Hacienda restaurant, a venue recommended by the Hispanic Affairs Office of  the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toledo, so it should be outstanding.

For those staying overnight, there is also Mass in Spanish at 7:00 p.m. nearby as well as one downtown on Sunday morning. Let us know if you need help connecting on those Mass times and locations. We hope you'll join us on March 19. RSVP's are now being accepted on Facebook or by calling 317-755-8400.