Luís Cervantes Memorial: Donations, Art Auction, Art-Loving Lenders Desperately Needed—Precita Eyes Mural Ctr. About to Lose Its Body
Precita Eyes Mural Center About to Lose Its Body
Luis & Susan Kelk Cervantes, Co-Founders of Landmark Mural Center About to Lose Home of 35 Years
Thank you to all who have offered us your spirtual blessings and condolences during this time of deep mourning for my father, Luis Cervantes. The family is grieving. But we are guided along by the many souls who loved my father as we do. We recognize the hundreds of people who wish to participate in a memorial ceremony. We are overwhelmed at this time, and with Mural Awareness Month activities and events planned throughout this month, the prospect of finding a location suitable to hold such a large gathering of all who have been touched by his mind, art, humor, and twinkling grace at such short notice is, well, overwhelming. And, Susan and the family are about to lose their home of 35 years through a family/ownership dispute which began in November. (One of Luis Cervantes's early sculptures valued at $20,000 decades ago may have been damaged in their destroyed garden by painters hired by one of the disputed owners of the building, a storefront residential studio rented from fellow artists & close friends of 40 years located on Precita Street across from Precita Park.) The ownership dispute is curently in suspense in probate court and Susan was in the process of establishing residential status in order to buy into the building which was up for sale until recently. At the same time, Susan & Luís Cervantes were recently honored and recognized by Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco for their lifetime of contributions to the city's culture and character, and April 6 was declared "Susan and Luis Cervantes Day" in San Francisco. My father, on that day was scheduled to begin a series of 25 radiation treatments which would have weakened his already frail condition and which may not have extended his life. He decided to, once again, forego the treatments and he and Susan went off to "go to a party instead" unaware of the honor awaiting them at their opening of the Precita Eyes Community Mural Arts Exhibition held in the lobby at City Hall that evening. Fotos forthcoming.
Susan and the Cervantes Family are CONSIDERING holding a memorial ceremony on May 27. Meanwhile, you are all invited to send in your remembrances, stories, poems, songs, condolences to this blog or email with "Luis" in the subject title. I'll transfer them to a memorial website as soon as I return to Boulder. You may also join me in San Franciso at the opening celebration of Mural Awareness Month in Precita Park in the Mission District this weekend, Saturday, May 7th.
Help us help Susan keep the Cervantes home, the "body" of Precita Eyes, for without a home for the heart there is no vision. All help fundraising is needed at this time as the building had an offer of $990,000 made at the time shortly before my father's sudden death. My father & Susan's artwork and art collection has never been appraised as, as my father would say: "That's not what it's about." And, "Art is Time. Time is Art." Their decades of paying low rent to friends allowed them the time to do what they do, and what he did. At what price, art and light in one's life, in so many ways as there are colors and their myriad descriptions? Community arts. Community artists for all. Susan is considering holding an art auction to raise funds on May 27, but needs help. We are asking all interested collectors (community artists generally don't run in those monied halls) donors, artists willing to donate work or bid on particular pieces, and in particularly, residential mortgage lenders willing to invest in a future San Francisco landmark. Please visit the Precita Eyes Mural Center link or read the following obituary which appeared in today's SF Chronicle for the address of the Precita Eyes Mural Center where donations, however small, may be sent c/o Susan Kelk Cervantes.
Luis Cervantes's earthly body was cremated today. An altar and memorial list, as well as friends of Luis Cervantes, can be found at the Cafe Boheme at 24th & Mission.
Those who know know: His Spirit is strong and his Journey is long. He has been blessed, and he blessed. He was spared suffering, he died in peace and lay in state with family and close loved ones surrounding. His last words were "I love you, too." He was released, and we ask that our grief may not sustain and hold him to this earth in that intent. Share your tears, share your work. "Work is the refuge of sadness." ~LDC
Luís Cervantes - He walked in Beauty. He worked in Heart. He brought a Light.
Lorna Dee Cervantes, San Franciso, May 2, 2005
Luis & Susan Kelk Cervantes, Co-Founders of Landmark Mural Center About to Lose Home of 35 Years
Thank you to all who have offered us your spirtual blessings and condolences during this time of deep mourning for my father, Luis Cervantes. The family is grieving. But we are guided along by the many souls who loved my father as we do. We recognize the hundreds of people who wish to participate in a memorial ceremony. We are overwhelmed at this time, and with Mural Awareness Month activities and events planned throughout this month, the prospect of finding a location suitable to hold such a large gathering of all who have been touched by his mind, art, humor, and twinkling grace at such short notice is, well, overwhelming. And, Susan and the family are about to lose their home of 35 years through a family/ownership dispute which began in November. (One of Luis Cervantes's early sculptures valued at $20,000 decades ago may have been damaged in their destroyed garden by painters hired by one of the disputed owners of the building, a storefront residential studio rented from fellow artists & close friends of 40 years located on Precita Street across from Precita Park.) The ownership dispute is curently in suspense in probate court and Susan was in the process of establishing residential status in order to buy into the building which was up for sale until recently. At the same time, Susan & Luís Cervantes were recently honored and recognized by Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco for their lifetime of contributions to the city's culture and character, and April 6 was declared "Susan and Luis Cervantes Day" in San Francisco. My father, on that day was scheduled to begin a series of 25 radiation treatments which would have weakened his already frail condition and which may not have extended his life. He decided to, once again, forego the treatments and he and Susan went off to "go to a party instead" unaware of the honor awaiting them at their opening of the Precita Eyes Community Mural Arts Exhibition held in the lobby at City Hall that evening. Fotos forthcoming.
Susan and the Cervantes Family are CONSIDERING holding a memorial ceremony on May 27. Meanwhile, you are all invited to send in your remembrances, stories, poems, songs, condolences to this blog or email with "Luis" in the subject title. I'll transfer them to a memorial website as soon as I return to Boulder. You may also join me in San Franciso at the opening celebration of Mural Awareness Month in Precita Park in the Mission District this weekend, Saturday, May 7th.
Help us help Susan keep the Cervantes home, the "body" of Precita Eyes, for without a home for the heart there is no vision. All help fundraising is needed at this time as the building had an offer of $990,000 made at the time shortly before my father's sudden death. My father & Susan's artwork and art collection has never been appraised as, as my father would say: "That's not what it's about." And, "Art is Time. Time is Art." Their decades of paying low rent to friends allowed them the time to do what they do, and what he did. At what price, art and light in one's life, in so many ways as there are colors and their myriad descriptions? Community arts. Community artists for all. Susan is considering holding an art auction to raise funds on May 27, but needs help. We are asking all interested collectors (community artists generally don't run in those monied halls) donors, artists willing to donate work or bid on particular pieces, and in particularly, residential mortgage lenders willing to invest in a future San Francisco landmark. Please visit the Precita Eyes Mural Center link or read the following obituary which appeared in today's SF Chronicle for the address of the Precita Eyes Mural Center where donations, however small, may be sent c/o Susan Kelk Cervantes.
Luis Cervantes's earthly body was cremated today. An altar and memorial list, as well as friends of Luis Cervantes, can be found at the Cafe Boheme at 24th & Mission.
Those who know know: His Spirit is strong and his Journey is long. He has been blessed, and he blessed. He was spared suffering, he died in peace and lay in state with family and close loved ones surrounding. His last words were "I love you, too." He was released, and we ask that our grief may not sustain and hold him to this earth in that intent. Share your tears, share your work. "Work is the refuge of sadness." ~LDC
Luís Cervantes - He walked in Beauty. He worked in Heart. He brought a Light.
Lorna Dee Cervantes, San Franciso, May 2, 2005
posted by Lorna Dee Cervantes at 5:17 PM
1 Comments:
Thank you for your kind and insightful words, lo siento por lo de sus papa...but i am sure your dad's traveling al otro lado es un symbolo de lo que ha cosechado. what hit me the most has been a common motiff in the recent years of my young life... that of corazon, yoyotl and memory as well as the idea of collective vision, dreaming, futuro and posterity and the role of art to move emotionally, politically, culturally....specifically when you said, "Help us help Susan keep the Cervantes home, the "body" of Precita Eyes, for without a home for the heart there is no vision."
la importancia de tener hogar, tanto casa es una importante characteristica en tener fundacion, algo solido en que creer y estoy por segura tanto por experiencia personal tanto de otros que el arte de su papa y la familia cervantes ha ayudado crear fruto pa despues la comunidad cosechar en la vida de los que vienen, lo que es yoyotl o memoria como definicion por nuestros antepasados y vision porque creemos en la libertad, la capacitacion y la educacion of the seventh generation, las/os hijas/os que vienen, las/os hijas/os como ustedes, y la memoria que cultivan en las paginas, en las paredes pero mas importante en el corazon...porque ahora mas que nunca la nececitamos para ser un mundo mejor..gracias a susan y luis por la legacia que han brindado particularmente en san jose y buena suerte en sus esfuerzos y se que cruceremos caminos muy pronto..
con respeto, adriana, a chicana from sanjo
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