A collaborative project paying tribute to images of La Virgen de Guadalupe across the City of Angels will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday, June 9 at Espacio 1839.
Spearheaded by Angeleno creatives Oscar Rodriguez Zapata and Xitlalic Guijosa-Osuna, the collaboration mixes photography and poetry to highlight the cultural figure, whose image holds a deep significance for many in Boyle Heights and throughout LA.
“Whenever you see a virgencita you feel safe. You know that your people, your gente, your raza are around,” said Zapata in an interview with Religion News Service. “It makes you feel welcome.”
Guijosa-Osuna, a Michoacana Sinaloense poet, visual artist and owner of the hand pressed card shop Tarjetitas con Amor, will feature her poetry at the event. Guijosa-Osuna will also be selling prints from her shop outside Espacio, where Caminarte Marketplace is set to take place during the event.
Zapata, known for his decade-long documentation of images of La Virgen, will showcase his photography. Featured in Episode 60 of the Órale Boyle Heights Podcast, Zapata has been devoted to capturing images of Guadalupe murals to push for their preservation.
Espacio, a cultural community gathering place, radio booth and retail store, is located at 1839 1st Street in Boyle Heights.
Friday’s event is one of many that the space has hosted highlighting different aspects of the neighborhood’s local culture. You can follow Espacio’s Instagram to learn more about its upcoming events on 1st Street.
