Lebanon Valley College Presents Art Lecture by Jim Nikas on Nov. 18

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Nikas to discuss the impact of La Catrina on José Guadalupe Posada on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 5 p.m.

ANNVILLE, PA (10/29/2014)(readMedia)-- Lebanon Valley College will host Jim Nikas on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 5 p.m., in Zimmerman Recital Hall of the Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery for an art lecture, in conjunction with the "Day of the Dead (El día de los muertos)" art exhibit. Nikas, a founder, curator, and co-owner of the Brady Collection, will present "José Guadalupe Posada: Calaveras and Social Commentary."

The lecture will particularly examine the contemporary tabloids and visual imagery created by Posada during the time when La Catrina had an impact on Mexican art. La Catrina was originally an elegantly dressed female's skeleton as a parody of the wealthy who dressed like Europeans on the Day of the Dead.

Nikas is a San Francisco native. The Brady Nikas Collection is one of the largest private collections of works by José Guadalupe Posada and Manual Manilla in the U.S.; in its entirety it contains more than 5,000 works. In November 2009, Nikas curated the "Día de los Muertos" exhibition at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, in San Francisco. In 2010, Nikas curated an exhibition sponsored by the Consul General of Mexico of San Francisco celebrating the Bicentenario of Mexican Independence and Centenario of the Mexican Revolution.

Nikas was invited to guest curate an exhibit in homage to Posada at the Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramirez 'El Nigromante' Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. He participated as a contributor in the duo Bicentennial-Centennial Mexican Exhibition of the University of California Bancroft Library and Stanford University.

In 2012, Nikas curated the "Día de los Muertos 'Alas de Vida-Wings of Life'" exhibition for the Petaluma Art Center, which was featured on the Comcast Cable program "Inside City Limits." During the Centenario of Posada's death in 2013, Nikas curated two exhibitions and loaned collection works for several exhibitions. In the fall of 2013, he lectured with Taller Grafica Popular artist Hector Vargas on the history of Mexican printmaking at the Mexican Museum of San Francisco. Recent exhibitions have included many works from Chicano(a) artists in the U.S., including print collectives and artists from Mexico.

Nikas has lectured in the U.S. and Mexico on various aspects of the art and influence of José Guadalupe Posada. Nikas has also exhibited art works of his private collection and has a few placed in the United States Library of Congress Collection. Together with film director Victor Mancilla, Nikas is producing a documentary film about José Guadalupe Posada. Nikas is a member of the Advisory Board of the Documentary Film Institute Board at San Francisco State University, a former director of the "Coro Hispano de San Francisco," and divides his time between San Francisco and San Miguel de Allende.

The Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery exhibition, "Day of the Dead (El día de los muertos)," on display through Dec. 14, will explore the significance of imagery connected to the Mexican celebration known as Día de los Muertos and its relationship to conceptions of death and family heritage both pre- and post-Spanish conquest. Día de los Muertos is a celebration in Mexico that is held from October 31 to November 2. Participants believe that the souls of the departed return each night to enjoy the food and flowers that the family has put out for them either on an ofrenda (altar) in their home or on their tomb in the cemetery.

LVC Gallery hours are Wednesdays from 5 to 8 p.m.; Thursdays from 1 to 4:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and by appointment for groups. Schools and other organizations are encouraged to contact the Gallery for a guided visit. Additional information is available at www.lvc.edu/gallery, gallery@lvc.edu, or 717-867-6445.