UNC acquires major artwork by Cornelio Campos

I am a big fan of painter Cornelio Campos and was DELIGHTED to hear from him, at the end of last year, that UNC was buying one of his large canvases. It's about time, not only that he achieve that kind of institutional recognition, but that a local entity with the resources to do so snap up some of his major work and keep it on display here, locally, on a permanent basis.

Now, this press release came from Sharon Mujica:

Sunday, March 22, 2009, 5:00-6:30 at CHICLE,
Talk and display - HIS ART by local artist Cornelio Campos

About the Artist:
Cornelio Campos has worked and lived in his native Mexico, in California, and now lives in Durham, NC. He is an electrician by trade and the founder of Los Viejitos, a dance group from his native Mexico. His paintings include expressive narratives of his beloved home town of Cheran, in the state of Michoacan in Central Mexico, and of his immigrant experiences in the US. He has drawn since he was a young child, and began to paint at the age of 10. He attended art classes in Cheran, taught by Panfilo Macias, and CREA Summer School in Guadalajara, Jalisco.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has recently purchased one of his paintings and it may be seen at the Campus YMCA.

Artist's Statement:
"My paintings are inspired by the nostalgia I have for my home town of Cheran, Mexico, my family, and the customs I grew up with. I also see my paintings as a tool for sharing my indigenous background, and for offering a teaching lesson to people here in the United States. I currently do two types of art; one which is folkloric, and the other would be considered political. In these pieces I address the issues faced by people from Central and South America — the lingering cultural significance of Spanish colonization, and the experience of creating a life in a new country. I would describe this work as narrative – a free expression of what I think about – a way to respond to what is happening in society in general, and the status of immigrants in the US." — Cornelio Campos
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Please call us at (919) 933-0398 if you want more information.

CHICLE, or the Chapel Hill Institute of Cultural and Language Education, is located above the Weaver Street Market in Carrboro.