Alebrijes Bring Art, Culture and Celebration to the San José Community

In the 1930s, Pedro Linares had a dream.

An artist living in Mexico City, Linares had gone to bed one night sick with a high fever. In his dreams, he saw a host of colorful, fantastical creatures. He heard them shout the word, "Alebrijes!"

Inspired by what he had seen, Linares decided he would use the artform he knew best - paper m â ché - to recreate the surreal animal-like creatures.

That was when the very first alebrijes came to life. Since then, other artists have gone on to carry the work forward.

Today, the alebrijes continue to spark wonder and imagination throughout Mexico; and other parts of the world have also been featuring alebrijes in museums, galleries, festivals and parades.

San José is no exception. Giant sculptures of alebrijes are currently on display at Plaza de César Chávez until September 28; and an exhibition of alebrijes hosted by the Africana, Asian American, Chicano & Native American (AAACNA) Studies Center on the 5th floor of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Library was recently up until September 21.

Across the city, various entities - San Jose Jazz ; the SJSU King Library ; SJSU's College of Humanities and the Arts ; and the City of San José - have partnered to celebrate and share the vibrant tradition of the alebrijes.

"We're definitely feeling really inspired by the response of the community and by how wonderful this has been," says Monique Valenzuela, who works in business and education development at San Jose Jazz.

The San Jose Jazz team led the installation of the giant sculptures in the downtown plaza, working with a producer in Oaxaca, who helped to curate all the art from various artists in Mexico.

The computer-recreated art was blown up into carbon fiber, and inside the bases of each sculpture, there are large water tanks that keep the pieces sturdy. The original alebrijes artwork is located on the ground floor Tower Lobby of San José City Hall for the public to come and view until December 19.

"We also wanted to create elements around the alebrijes exhibition, which include our festivals, movie nights and workshops; and also partnering with others to create walking tours," says Valenzuela. "So our goal was not only to bring it out here but to create an awesome community experience around it."

Art and community

In the 1980s, the making of alebrijes spread from Mexico City to Oaxaca, where artists began using copal wood to carve out the creatures. The making of alebrijes has continued to evolve, infusing artistic creativity and representing cultural identity across Mexico.

During annual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations, the creatures have become symbols for honoring the deceased; and some even look at them as spirit guides who help to guide loved ones that have passed.

This history was shared and discussed during walking tours that were held during the week of September 15. The tours began at King Library, which features three private collections of alebrijes, along with alebrijes created by Oaxacan artist Alma Arreola. Known as "Spirits in Color: The Magic of Alebrijes," the exhibition was organized by Research Services and Social Sciences Librarian Estella Inda, '08 Social Science, '21 MLIS, who is also an affiliate of the AAACNA center.

Kathryn Blackmer Reyes, '96 MLIS, who is a librarian and the director of the AAACNA Studies Center, has her own personal collection of alebrijes being featured as part of the exhibition. Over the years, she acquired alebrijes directly from Arreola, who previously traveled to SJSU to showcase and sell her artwork.

"I built my collection for the love of art. I also think it was about supporting cultural art. It's a bit of a mix, like a melting pot - the love of the art, the culture, the history, the people, the story, the personal. Alma Arreola's talent is undeniable," says Reyes.

Mary Elizabeth Anderson, the associate dean for research and faculty success in SJSU's College of Humanities and the Arts, has been thrilled to collaborate with others to bring the alebrijes to the community, and she led the walking tours on Wednesday and Thursday.

The college already shares close ties with the SJSU King Library. Its Center for Steinbeck Studies and Beethoven Center are both housed there, and the college also partners with the library to run the Digital Humanities Center .

"Our college [Humanities and the Arts] is like this engine that brings people together," says Anderson. "We're curious and always looking for what's happening in the community, and what people are interested in doing - and how we can use humanistic modes of inquiry and artist expression in a way to bring people together. And I think that we, and all the partners involved, have been able to do that through the alebrijes exhibits and tours. The alebrijes have connected all of us."

When she was a child, Inda was first introduced to alebrijes by her grandmother. At the time, she didn't understand how important they would become in her own life - until later, when she lost her other grandmother and several family members.

"Creating a space where others can experience such magical creatures that have come to mean so much to me personally," says Inda. "That is what these cultural spaces such as AAACNA are all about - individuals sharing a little piece of themselves with others, inviting connections, fostering a shared understanding and appreciation of diversity."

Stay tuned for the next SJSU King Library's AAACNA Studies Center exhibit in celebration of Dia de los Muertos; the Art of Remembrance Ofrenda Exhibit will go from Oct. 6th - Nov. 4th, with a special opening reception on Oct. 9th from 5:30-8 p.m.