By Susana Villegas

Casa Familiar, a non-profit organization located in San Ysidro, California, invites talented women in San Diego and Tijuana/Baja region to participate in the ninth annual Dia de la Mujer (International Women’s Day) exhibition and celebration.

The Dia de la Mujer exhibition and celebration will be held at Casa Familiar’s The Front gallery (147 W San Ysidro Blvd., San Ysidro, CA 92173).  Within eyesight of the U.S.-Mexico border with Tijuana, the exhibition is dedicated to the work of female artists, featuring more than 25 artists and more than 50 paintings, sculptures and photographs.  The event will include an art, rock, and melodrama performance by artist Madame Ur from Tijuana Mexico.

This year’s exhibition welcomes artists to explore and submit work around the theme of Play to Create.  The deadline to submit applications and work is February 17th, 2016. The opening exhibit reception is on March 10th, 2016 at 6:00 pm at the Front Gallery.

“The Dia de la Mujer Exhibition strives to be a safe space for women artists, to celebrate ourselves through art without fear and in our full glory,” said Luz Camacho, Director of Arts and Culture Programs at Casa Familiar.  “We hope that in creating artwork for this exhibition, participating artists find a unique process of playing and creating.”

Judging this year’s exhibition is a distinguished panel of jurors: Melly Barragan, Visual Artist, Co-director of TJINCHINA ProjectSpace; Norma Iglesias Prieto, Professor and Chair of the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies at San Diego State University; and Ginger Shulick Porcella, Arts Administrator and Curator and Executive Director of the San Diego Art Institute.

An artist’s cash award will be given to First Place winner in each category. The amount of the award is decided by the artists themselves in that it is equal to 80 percent of the total of entry fees collected from the submission of applications of that category.

“The mission of Casa Familiar allows the dignity, power, and worth within individuals and families to flourish,” said Andrea Skorepa, CEO of Casa Familiar.  “We are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life through education, advocacy, service programming, housing and community economic development, and the arts.”
For more information please call Luz Camacho at (619) 428-1115 or go to www.casafamiliar.org to download the application.