HERSTORY

It was 1997 in northeast Los Angeles, Highland Park at the PRC (Popular Resource Center/Centro Regeneracion) where Mujeres de Maiz first took root. As a host to countless grassroot meetings, fundraisers, exhibits, and underground “gigs,” the PRC became an organizing space for community activists and artists. Inspired by the 1994 Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, Xican@s began to organize themselves around the philosophy of Zapatismo. Consequently, Radio Clandestino and the National Committee for Democracy in Mexico were housed within the PRC’s walls. In addition, artists such as In Lak Ech, Quetzal, Aztlan Underground, Blues Experiment, Ollin, Quinto Sol, and Mujeres de Maiz began to collaborate, cultivate, and plant their seeds within the youth of the community.
Over thirty years had passed since the height of the Feminist and Chicano Movement, yet women’s voices were continually absent from the established platforms. In order to unite women of color artists from the Eastside, Felicia Montes and Claudia Mercado founded Mujeres de Maiz (MDM). They took destiny into their own hands and created their own sacred space within the larger movement. MDM began by self-publishing a grassroots ‘zine’ and producing a one night performance and multi-media exhibit at non-traditional art venues. If they didn’t tell their stories, who would?
The intention of the zine was to give voice to women of color regardless of their ‘formal’ training. Mujeres de Maiz was and continues to be an open call to beginners and experienced artists of all ages and sexualities. The zines and performance/art events have brought women from many nations together. The work of MDM has engaged women from Africa, South America, North America, Philippines, Asia, Srilanka, Mexico, and U.S. Xicanas to network and organize around global social political issues. What began as an open call for submissions to the zine’ evolved into the collective of women of color artists committed to social justice and the empowerment of our communities.
Following the time of the seasons, MDM zines and events took place every four months. The first MDM zine and event titled “Mujeres de Maiz: El Nacimiento del Dios de Maiz and Birth of La Diosa de Maiz” took place June 29, 1997 at the PRC. In the spirit of Dia de Los Muertos, the second event and zine “Seeds of Resistance” took place November 9, 1997. In March of 1998 the third live art show and zine “Of Mixed Waters” was organized for International Women’s Day at the Community Service Organization (CSO) in Boyle Heights. To celebrate the year long collective’s work, a 15 min. video docu-womb-mentary titled “Mujeres de Maiz: The Roots of Herstory,” which chronicled the creative projects through a tapestry of women’s voices, images and interviews, was made and screened at the fourth MDM event in June 1998.
MDM has and continues to play an active role within Xicana Indigena politics. In March of 1999, a second anniversary show took place at Self-Help Graphics for International Women’s Day. The proceeds of the event went to support the Cihuatlatokan, a historic encuentro of Xicana Indigenas that took place in the Angeles National Forest. Two years later in March of 2002 another performance and art event was organized in honor of International Women’s Day at Casa del Mexicano in Boyle Heights. The proceeds from the event went to support the second Xicana Indigena encuentro being organized by La Red Xicana Indigena. MDM has served as a bridge in bringing together not only individual artists but other collaboratives as well. The most recent event, “Danzando con el Fuego,” took place on March 6, 2004 at Self Help Graphics and was a joint effort with Tongues Magazine, Womyn Image Makers and Mujeres de Maiz in celebration of International Women’s Day. The proceeds of the event went to support a documentary work in progress chronicling the local and intercontinental work by Xicana Indigena identified women.
The 2006 ZINE, “Toltecayotl Cihuatl” is the fourth weaving of the heart. Since its’ founding in 1997, Mujeres de Maiz has produced a total of 4 zines, 7 multi-media events and 1 documentary. All the work to produce the zines, art shows, and performances has and continues to be in-kind. Its’ life continues because of the collective’s vision of resistance, self-determination, and the empowerment of women. This work is a prayer for the healing of our selves, communities and our Mother Earth.
The women of Mujeres de Maiz have been uniting, organizing and creating rather organically since its inception. Bound by their creative spirit of using art as an educational tool for resistance, healing and change, MDM formed to make visible the invisible. Under the leadership of Xicanas, Mujeres de Maiz has become a creative outlet, cross-cultural inter-generational women’s circle. Mujeres de Maiz events have transformed abandoned halls and warehouses throughout East Los Angeles into magical timeless nights that inspire dreams of a better world. The zines have inspired the minds and spirits of a younger generation to keep the dream alive. They are our modern day codices. They are a chronicling of ourselves for ourselves.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OVERALL or FOR ZINE SUBMISSION:
WWW.MUJERESDEMAIZ.NET http://www.myspace.com/mujermaiz
questions:
[email protected]
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