La Ultima Exhibición

The National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque , for much of 2018, has been celebrating Rudolfo Anaya's novel, Bless Me, Ultima, with various events such as an elaborate art exhibit and, in October, a marathon reading of the book by numerous people.

If you find yourself in Anaya's hometown, I'm sure a trip to the Center would be rewarding. 

Here are the details that I know about what the Center is doing to honor Ultima's forty-sixth anniversary. 

First, the art exhibit (text from the NHCC website.)

La Ultima Exhibición

February 16 – November 11
NHCC Art Museum Community Gallery

The La Ultima Exhibición, curated by Augustine Romero, features visual interpretations of Rudolfo Anaya’s celebrated book, Bless Me, Ultima (1972)-a portrait of life in rural New Mexico as seen through the eyes of a young boy during World War II. Anaya tells of the spiritual healer, Ultima, as she guides young Antonio on a magical and moral journey in this novel that has inspired artists for decades. Romero curated a previous iteration of this exhibition in 2006 at the South Broadway Cultural Center and the NHCC Art Museum is thrilled to host the re-imagined version twelve years later.

Featured artists include: Jesús "Cimi" Alvarado, George C’de Baca, Sylvia Ortiz Domney, Christian Michael Gallegos, Roberto Gallegos, Eric Garcia, Kristina Gonzales, Nacho Jaramillo, Al Na’ir Lara, Chisim Bernal Lujan, Oscar Lozoya, Chris Ray Melendez, El Moisés, Derrick Montez, Paloma Paz Nava, Gabriel Luis Powers, Chris Rivera, Rebecca H. Hernandez Rosser, and Catalina Salinas.

Augustine Romero is an acclaimed visual artist and the curator of the South Broadway Cultural Center and the Kimo Theater for the City of Albuquerque.

Here's what I know about the public reading:

The following is from Valerie Martínez, Director, History and Literary Arts/NHCC, and Chamizal MacPherson.

The National Hispanic Cultural Center would like to invite you to participate in a special event to celebrate the 46^th anniversary of the publication of Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima. 

On Saturday, October 14, 2018 we will present a beginning-to-end reading of the novel in our art museum, where an exhibit about the novel has opened.  This exhibit will be open through November 11, 2018.  Dignitaries, luminaries, New Mexico writers, Anaya family members, NHCC patrons and community members are invited to read from the novel, each for 15 minutes during this day-long event.  

DATE:            Saturday, October 14, 2018

LOCATION:   National Hispanic Cultural Center Art Museum

TIME:             11 am, 11:30 am, Noon; 12:30 pm, 1 pm, 1:30 pm OR 2 pm

PREP:                  None at all; you will simply take the podium and read from the novel where the previous reader has paused. Regular or large print text will be available.

As you may know, the NHCC has been celebrating Bless Me, Ultima since our exhibit opened in March of this year. This year-long celebration culminates with this October reading and a second showing of the film “Bless Me, Ultima” on Thursday, November 8, 2018.

  

For participating we will provide a breakfast, lunch and lite dinner fare. Each reader will receive a special gift for participating. 

Thank you so much.

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Congratulations to señor Anaya and the lasting power of his revered  literary classic.  We at La Bloga wish him all the best and hope to read his "new stuff" for years to come.

Later.

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Manuel Ramos has three noir short stories in the literary pipeline: Night in Tunisia (Blood Business, Mario Acevedo and Joshua Viola, eds., Hex Publishing, 2017), Snake Farm (Culprits: The Heist Was Only the Beginning, Richard Brewer and Gary Phillips, eds., Polis Books, 2018), and Sitting Ducks (Blood and Gasoline, Mario Acevedo, ed., Hex Publishing, 2018). His next novel is scheduled for publication in September, 2018.