LA NANCY D Visits Orient

Ok, I know I'm biased, but I do think she took a great head shot! But then again, what can you expect from someone living in la-la-land so long? Of course, she took a great head shot. A great chick deserves a great head shot! I'm so glad she's coming to visit us here in the boonies! It will be so fun! Watching the documentary with the producer/writer, and being a part of something way bigger! Watching the film, and also celebrating my October people birthdays with my big sis will be lots of fun. Here is her pic and bio, hope you make it to Orient at the end of October for Lalo Guerrero: The Original Chicano!

The following is her bio, and yes, she looks a lot younger! But then again, so does everyone in LA!

Nancy De Los Santos is a Los Angeles-based writer with a number of credits including the MOW Gotta Kick It Up! for The Disney Channel, and scripts for both the Showtime drama series Resurrection Blvd. and the PBS series American Family. She’s co-writer and co-producer of The Bronze Screen: One Hundred Years of the Latin Image in Hollywood Cinema, a feature documentary that aired on Cinemax/HBO. She teaches a course based on the documentary at California State University, Fullerton.
She is the co-producer and co-writer with Dan Guerrero, of a documentary on the life of legendary Chicano troubadour and composer, Lalo Guerrero. Lalo Guerrero: The Original Chicano, will air on the PBS network this fall as part of the new series, Voces.
Nancy is the Associate Producer on the feature films Selena starring Jennifer Lopez and Edward James Olmos, and My Family, Mi Familia starring Jimmy Smits.
Born and raised in Chicago, Nancy began her career as Assistant Producer and continued as Producer for Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel’s film review program At The Movies. She received her degree in Radio, Television, and Film from the University of Texas at Austin. She holds a Masters in Communications from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
Nancy De Los Santos has written for Hispanic Magazine and Latina. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Writer’s Guild of America, West and the Latino Writers Committee.

Los Angeles Documentary Producer Visits Orient Elementary School in October

Orient, Washington -- From October 23rd-26th, Nancy De Los Santos, producer and writer of the newly released documentary film, Lalo Guerrero, The Original Chicano, will be presenting an informational hands-on arts workshop on the Mexican cultural celebration, “Dia de los Muertos,” (translation: Day of the Dead) which is held every year on November 1st, for Orient Elementary School students as part of Orient’s arts and music program. Ms. De Los Santos’ visit is funded in part by a Washington State Arts Commission Grant. Lalo Guerrero, The Original Chicano, co-written and co-produced with Dan Guerrero, will also be screened on Friday evening October 27th at 7:00 pm, at the Orient Elementary School Gymnasium. (For more information on the documentary film and the filmmakers, visit their website as http://www.originalchicano.com/)

The screening is free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of $2.00 for adults, and $1.00 for students under 17 years of age. Ms. De Los Santos will give a short talk on documentary production, and what skills are needed in filmmaking and careers in filmmaking today. She teaches a course based on the documentary at California State University, Fullerton. We are honored to have Nancy visit our school, and share her love for filmmaking. Orient Elementary wishes to invite the community and anyone interested in a career in documentary filmmaking to attend the screening and join us for this special visit.

Born and raised in Chicago, Nancy began her career as Assistant Producer and continued as Producer for Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel’s film review program At The Movies. She received her degree in Radio, Television, and Film from the University of Texas at Austin. She holds a Masters degree in Communications from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

The film will be aired on PBS stations throughout the country beginning in September. Ms. De Los Santos has extensive experience in writing and producing for television and feature films. Her filmography includes the TV series, "Go, Diego! Go!" “Gotta Kick It Up!” and “American Family.” She is the Associate Producer on the films Selena, and My Family. She also co-produced and co-wrote the documentary film, The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in Hollywood Cinema, which aired on HBO.

Bobcat Boosters, Orient's PTA, is planning a Mexican-themed dinner that evening from 5 pm-7 pm, the cost for dinner is donation-based.

Time to Drive

Driving everywhere it seems these days, the hot, hot, dog days of summer. The Northeast Washington Fair is up and running, with cows, pigs, sheep, dogs and cats on display. Sometimes it seems a bit overwhelming! There is so much to see, and that's a good thing. The kids are back to school next week, and whew! What a summer it was. Beginning the administration job again at the school, and that will be a fun year, I hope. Seems I've been driving a lot, to town and back, and then to another town and back home. Pick up this child, drop off a child, go to a drawing class in Colville for six days. Whew! Glad that I have my old faithful Toyota. She is so great on gas, manuvers well, and is small! She fits in tight places and she'll always be a friend.
Well, got to go now, as it is my open house weekend! WHOPEE!

Letters I've Written

Never meaning to send... love that tune! Love art, and going to EUROPE! Still and all, Europe is the way to go, the best place to see the art of antiquity, the incredible paintings of the masters, and everything that is art.

This is where it all began, perspective included. The Fibonnacci sequence, Leonardo, all of it. I'm not really interested in Orca whales frolicking off the San Juan Islands, although that's very nice. In my lifetime, I hope to visit the Mona Lisa in person, soak in the culture, life, love, and ART that is Italy and France.

Drawing Again

Taking drawing seriously is a tough business. Try standing all day at an easel. It's not for the weak. Although you might get a nice drawing out of it. I felt like I was back in my college days. Whew! I'm really dating myself. It was good to really use charcoal to its greatest advantage. I don't much like the drawing, but the thing was, it was worth a lot more than $25.

That was quite insulting that the owners of the restauranat where we were drawing (they rent the space too!)--told us "kids" that he would buy a drawing the one he liked, the best one, for $25. Well, mine wasn't for sale. I told one woman, you know, if you pay yourself $10. per hr. that comes to at least $160. per hr. figuring on an 8-hr. day!

She replied, "well, not when you've got a barn full of paintings". I felt sorry for her, as women to tend to de-value themselves and their work. I thought it was quite demeaning, when the teacher stated so emphatically that some of her students sell their paintings for $20K.

It was kind of insulting. Like I really need a ZZ Top look-a-like with a baseball hat to judge my drawing and offend me by telling me that it was only worth $25.00.

I have to say something tomorrow to the class, as I thought it was a class, and NOT a competition. It was extremely rude to make the class into a competition. Not to mention the folks that came by with their inane comments and stupid photos of past paintings they did in the previous classes.

Talking to my friend Jane, I wondered out loud to her, "why do women de-value themselves and their work"? Me, included of course.

My faithful friend and husband, Dave always tells me this in so many ways. Sigh, that's why I love him. He always tells me that I'm better than I think I am, and I should charge accordingly!

Grand Forks Summer Showcase: "Crossing the Line"

NEWS RELEASEfor immediate releaseJuly 14, 2006Contact: Paul Crawford, Director / CuratorGrand Forks Art GalleryPhone: (250) 442-2211E-mail: gfagchin@direct.caWeb: www.galleries.bc.ca/grandforksThe Grand Forks Art Gallery Presents - Crossing the Line – A Regional SurveyExhibition Opening Saturday July 29th 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Artists will be in AttendanceExhibition Runs from July 29th through August 26th

The Grand Forks Art Gallery is proud to present the exhibition Crossing the Line, an exhibition featuring the work of 13 artists residing and working in the Boundary region of British Columbia and North Central Washington State. This annual exhibition is intended to act an ongoing survey of this regions diverse and varied visual arts community.
This year in an effort to better reflect our region the Grand Forks Art Gallery has extended an inviting to a selection of artists living and working in North Central Washington State exploring a wide variety of medium’s including painting, photography, sculpture and ceramics. The artists featured in this summer’s exhibition include:

From North Central Washington: Chris Kroupa from Curlew who is represented in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Ellen Picken from Republic, Gloria de los Santos from Kettle Falls, Charlene Payton-Holt from Republic, Gary Belcher from Orient and Elinor Distler from Colville – From Grand Forks and the Boundary: Ken Flagel, Shirlie MacLean, Doris Albert, Doolee MacDonnell, Ingunn Templeman, Melon Durrand and Dustin Lacroix a recent art school graduate and past winner of the Richard and Beverley Reid Scholarship for graduation students.
Our hope is to have this develop into an ongoing series of exhibitions and exchanges exploring the contemporary arts scenes of both Washington State and British Columbia and in doings so help build bridges between our two arts communities. It sad to think that this once strong and vibrant bilateral artistic relationship has become less and less over the past 20 years as the physical barrier between our two nations becomes that much more pronounced.

These North-South artistic and cultural associations are not new and the exchange and flow of culture is as old as there have been people inhabiting these lands. From the early exchanges and the established trade routes used by the First Nations, to the movement and explorations of the Spanish and the fur trade through the move Northwards to the Gold Fields, this history of these cultural exchanges is well documented. It has only been in the last twenty years this bilateral exchange has slowed to a standstill and the barriers imposed by the arbitrary border along the 49th parallel have become more acute. It’s a shame to think that since 9-11 the barriers both physically and emotionally have made this division even greater and the border more impenetrable. Sadly it is the residents who inhabit the communities along the 49th parallel who suffer the most.

It is our hope that though exchanges such as these, the Grand Forks Art Gallery will come to represent a true snapshot of the history, development, uniqueness and diversity of this regions artistic vision, its past and though exhibitions such as this it future.
For further information, please call the Grand Forks Art Gallery at 442-2211
Or visit the Gallery at 7340 – 5th Street, Grand Forks, B.C. (Under the Blue Awning)

The Art Gallery

Grand Forks, B.C. is a great place. Love that town. Love it even more because I'm showing my work there now. Which is a lot of fun. Went to the opening, saw a lot of friends, met some nice people, and all was well. Met some folks from "Shop The Frontier". A great organization.

Paul Crawford and his staff at the Grand Forks Art Gallery were very nice and helpful. They had great food as well.

The gallery is great, great atmosphere. Wish the show didn't have to end, but all things must pass.

Looking forward to the next show. Here's a picture I took of a patron looking at my work on the wall. Don't know who she is, but she looks interested.