"Paso Del Norte" art exhibit at the Fallbrook Library

FALLBROOK – “Paso del Norte,” a binational exhibit organized by the Mexican Cultural Institute of Los Angeles and the Mexican Instituto Municipal de Arte Y Cultura, will open at the Fallbrook Library on Sept. 7 and run until Nov. 9. It will culminate in a Dia de Los Muertos celebration with the artists on the evening of Friday, Nov. 1 at 6 to 9 p.m. in the community room of the library with food and with music provided by the band Musica Sin Fronteras. Of course, the public is invited and all is free.

The exhibition, which is curated by Margarita Marina from the Mexican Cultural Institute, has appeared in two venues in Mexico, Tecate and Tijuana, and will be shown in Los Angeles after the exhibit in Fallbrook. It features five California artists who emigrated north from Mexico to the United States: Daniel Marquez, Francesco Siqueiros, Isabel Martinez, Jose Antonio Aguirre and Marianne Sadowski. Daniel Marquez is a Fallbrook artist and is responsible for bringing this exhibit to Fallbrook.

The style of paintings in this show comes from the artists experience with Mexican culture and art, from the immigrant experience, and from the influence of Contemporary Art as practiced in the United States. Thus, their paintings may recall Mexican images, such as Guadalupe, but are often presented in a style that is grounded in Contemporary Art.

It is surprising to have this outstanding binational exhibit shown in a small town library. However, Fallbrook is known for art and the library has built a reputation for the exhibition of fine art. Over the past two years, 15 curated exhibits have been shown involving 155 artists and 530 pieces of art from Fallbrook and the region. Notable was the first ever Latino art exhibit in Fallbrook, “Siempre Viva,” shown in 2012.

Fallbrook Library is located at 124 S. Mission Rd.; its phone number is (760) 731-4650.