By: Jennifer Cuevas

SHG Artists in Residence, Mujeres de Maiz, kicked off Womxn’s HERstory Month and International Women’s Day at SHG, with a live multidisciplinary art show titled Xingona.X Fest: Weaving our Legacies Thru Prayer and an exhibition opening reception on Saturday, March 9, 2019. The Weaving our Legacies Thru Prayer exhibition will remain on view at the SHG gallery through April 5, 2019. They are also hosting a series of intercultural, intergenerational, and interdisciplinary art, health and wellness events through the duration of the exhibition. See our calendar for programming.

Xingona.X Fest was an all ages, one-night only live art show that included speakers covering topics from the recent LAUSD teacher strike to  police brutality. Performers included  In Lak Ech, Banda Las Angelinas an all women banda reclaiming a genre dominated by men; Compton-based writer and performer,  Claudia Rodríguez, whose  first collection of poetry, Everybody’s Bread, was a 2016 Lambda Literary Finalist; California based singer/songwriter, Kelly Caballero, who uses her urban-indigenous upbringing to inspire songs and stories of life, love and resistance who performs in all SoCal cities; soulful Hip Hop collective Weapons of Mass Creation from Anaheim, California; Theater festival, Chicanas Cholas y Chisme,  comprised of a team of Latina Writers, Directors, and Producers; PALOMX a hip hop artist representing Oaxaca-Mixtec tribes and honoring all sacred life and lands; L.A. based multimedia Aztec dance and theater company Indigital Productions; twelve year-old published poet, La Poeta Violeta; and award-winning poet Faith Santilla.

Stop by weekdays from 10am-5pm to view the exhibition and on weekends during select programming. Exhibition artists include Adriana Arriaga @adrianalaartista, Alma Lopez @almalopezgda, Amarise Carreras @amarise_c, Andrea Ramirez @mextica, Celina Jacques @celinajacqueslmft, Clara Ligia Chavez Vazquez, Claudia Mercado @cinematika2010, Cuca Rivera @_antesdemi_, Emilia Cruz @cruzemilia 
Emilia Garcia @burnttortilla, Eva Lopez @ehvahloonah, Jeaneen Carlino @jeaneencarlino, Lara Medina, Lilia Ramirez @liliflorart, Linda Vallejo @lindavallejoart, Margaret Alarcon @quicart, Mayahuel Rosado  @maya__sol, Megan Pennings @memepenny, Monica ‘Moni’ Perez @the_monishow 
Nayeli Guzman @nayeliguzman1, Rafa Tarin @brushfire575, Tashina Emery @tashinaleeemery and
Yolanda Gonzalez @yolandagonzalezart.

Mujeres de Maiz (MdM) is an inter-cultural, intergenerational and interdisciplinary collective of women-of-color, whose mission is to bring together and empower diverse (self-identified) women and girls, through the creation of community spaces that provide holistic programming—from wellness, education, exhibition, to self-publishing. Connect with Mujeres de Maiz on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @MujeresdeMaiz.

Jennifer Cuevas is Self Help Graphics & Art’s Communications Consultant and Leadership Advisor and a cultural arts producer, with a passion for the arts, social justice and policy.