Europe Meets Mesoamerica: A Culture Clash of Skulls and Letters

Thu Dec 12 2024 at 06:00 pm to 07:45 pm UTC-08:00

Letterform Archive | San Francisco

Letterform Archive
Publisher/HostLetterform Archive
Europe Meets Mesoamerica: A Culture Clash of Skulls and Letters
Advertisement
Join us to explore the revolutionary 19th century Mexican prints that have inspired future artists and type designers alike.
About this Event

Join us for this “Live at the Archive” presentation in-person when it occurs or later via video.

In 1539, less than twenty years after the so-called Conquest of Mexico, the first printing press in the Americas arrived in Mexico City. Over the following 400 years, the invading armies of Spain, aided and abetted by the Catholic Church, slowly exerted their influence over the Mesoamerican inhabitants of Mexico.

Many aspects of the cultures clashed but also evolved, blending European elements with indigenous traditions. As the country became more Europeanized, folk stories, traditions and printing formats, modified from the influences of Germany, England, France, Spain and even the United States, found their way into the hands of Mexico’s burgeoning population.

Beginning in 1880, an enterprising young man from Puebla, Mexico, Antonio Vanegas Arroyo began what would become one of the leading Penny Press publishing houses in Mexico City. By 1889, his staff included writers and illustrators, including artist Manuel Manilla and most importantly José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) whose discovery almost ten years after his death would result in generations of artists viewing him as a champion of human rights.

Ultimately, the imagery he created and even the type styles utilized would serve to inspire future artists and typographers alike. Additionally, the success and savvy of the publisher Vanegas Arroyo along with the talents of Posada, helped preserve a rich tapestry of the historical cultural record, in part, thanks very much to a particular woman from New York.


Event Photos

Educator, producer, and screenwriter Jim Nikas is founder and Director of the privately held Posada Art Foundation (containing over 5,000 works of art), which is dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy Mexican artists José Guadalupe Posada and Manual Manilla in the United States. Since 2003, Nikas has loaned, curated and co-curated works from its collection at dozens of venues. Beginning in 2019, the Foundation formed a joint venture with Landau Traveling Exhibitions, establishing an ongoing touring exhibition of Posada’s works. Nikas has lectured in the US and in Mexico on various aspects of the art, from Day of the Dead to the influence of José Guadalupe Posada on today's social-movement imagery. Together with film Director Victor Mancilla, Nikas co-produced the first major English-language documentary film about José Guadalupe Posada, Searching for Posada--ART and Revolutions (2014) and is co-screen writer for the documentary The Needle and the Thread about the life of the mystic Franciscan nun María de Jesús de Ágreda. Nikas is a former member of the Advisory Board of the Documentary Film Institute Board at San Francisco State University and served on the board of directors of the Coro Hispano de San Francisco.


Advertisement

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Letterform Archive, 2325 3rd Street, San Francisco, United States

Tickets

USD 0.00

Sharing is Caring:

More Events in San Francisco

Holiday Cable Car Caper (Meet-Up)
Thu Dec 12 2024 at 05:30 pm Holiday Cable Car Caper (Meet-Up)

Powell St. Cable Car Turnaround

NCLF Annual Vision Award Fundraising Celebration
Thu Dec 12 2024 at 05:30 pm NCLF Annual Vision Award Fundraising Celebration

Museum of the African Diaspora

Mechanics' Institute Members' Holiday Gathering
Thu Dec 12 2024 at 05:30 pm Mechanics' Institute Members' Holiday Gathering

Mechanics' Institute

2024 Celebration Happy Hour
Thu Dec 12 2024 at 05:30 pm 2024 Celebration Happy Hour

Groundfloor, Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA, USA

ANNUAL AAPI HOLIDAY MIXER
Thu Dec 12 2024 at 05:30 pm ANNUAL AAPI HOLIDAY MIXER

83 Proof

Beer and Game Night at Ballast Point San Francisco
Thu Dec 12 2024 at 05:30 pm Beer and Game Night at Ballast Point San Francisco

Ballast Point Tasting Room & Kitchen

Tree Lot Social with The Junior League of San Francisco
Thu Dec 12 2024 at 06:30 pm Tree Lot Social with The Junior League of San Francisco

The Guardsmen Christmas Tree Lot

Allegra Krieger ~ Mary Claire ~ William Alexander
Thu Dec 12 2024 at 07:00 pm Allegra Krieger ~ Mary Claire ~ William Alexander

Bottom of the Hill

Warriors vs TBD
Thu Dec 12 2024 Warriors vs TBD

Chase Center

San Francisco | Speed Dating | Singles Event | Ages 32-44 | Fancy a Go?
Thu Dec 12 2024 at 07:00 pm San Francisco | Speed Dating | Singles Event | Ages 32-44 | Fancy a Go?

Ballast Point Tasting Room & Kitchen

San Francisco | Speed Dating | Singles Event | Ages 32-44 | Fancy a Go?
Thu Dec 12 2024 at 07:00 pm San Francisco | Speed Dating | Singles Event | Ages 32-44 | Fancy a Go?

Ballast Point Tasting Room & Kitchen

Lymphomanic - A One Woman Show
Thu Dec 12 2024 at 07:00 pm Lymphomanic - A One Woman Show

Gregangelo Museum

San Francisco is Happening!

Never miss your favorite happenings again!

Explore San Francisco Events