Linda Garcia-Perez
Linda M. Garcia is a Mexican American Chicana artist, who has been active for over 40 years creating, teaching and exhibiting Mexican/Latino folk and indigenous arts and traditional culture throughout Nebraska. Linda incorporates Mexican folk art traditional methodology with basic art instruction to teach English and Spanish-speaking students and adults in the following disciplines:
– Papel Picado – Mexican paper cutting: beginning and advanced
– Amate – bark paper cuttings and paintings
– Repujado – Mexican metal embossing and tin works
– Yarn paintings – Ojos de DIos/God’s Eye – in the Huichol style
– Cascarones – Mexican Easter eggs
– Nichos – Mexican decorative shadow boxes; and el arte de cartoneria – the art of papier mâché using engrudo, which is home-made flour glue
Linda has extensive knowledge of the traditions and customs to create Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead, November 1st and 2nd) environments with materials to include:
– Sugar Skull making and decorating
– Calaveras and Esquelitos – sugar-style skulls and skeletons using papier mâché or metal embossing techniques
– Ofrendas – memory altar installations to honor and remember people or events with papel picado banners and paper table decorations
– Mexican crepe paper flower making, Cempoalxóchitl*, the central flower used during the Day of the Dead (*Cempoalxóchitl – Marigold in Nahuatl, the Aztec indigenous language)
Decades of experience and access to a personal collection of literature, authentic textiles and folk art objects has empowered Linda to assist numerous school systems and institutions with the installations of displays and presentations for Cinco de Mayo (the Fifth of May Puebla Battle), National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th-October 15th), Diez y Seis de Septiembre (16th of September, Mexican Independence Day), El Día de Los Muertos, Las Posadas and Navidad (Christmas) traditions.
She continues to travel Nebraska as a storyteller using folktales and personal stories.
Return to Artist Roster