[Aztlan] Announcing an Exhibit and programs; The Aztecs and Colonial Mexico

[michael ruggeri]

Announcing an exhibit and programs at the Newberry Library of Chicago

The Aztecs and the Making of Colonial Mexico
Sept. 28 to Jan. 13, 2007 .
"We want this exhibit to vividly reveal the Colonial Aztecs (the  
Nahua) as people of great intelligence, creativity, and perseverance  
whose contributions to the making of Colonial Mexico were essential,"  
said Ellen Baird, co-curator and professor of art history at the  
University of Illinois at Chicago. "The items in the exhibit make  
apparent to viewers what words can only suggest: they are learned  
works and often of great beauty."

Supporting programs include:

Exhibit Opening Program
Saturday, 30 September, 10 a.m.-Noon
Gallery Walks at Noon, 1 p.m. (guided tour in Spanish), and 2 p.m.
Reception, Noon

"Aztec Moments, Chicano Cosmovision: Imagining a Place for Aztlan"
Saturday, 14 October, 11 a.m.
David Carrasco, a distinguished historian of religion at Harvard  
University, has published extensively on Aztec ritual, ceremonial  
centers, and sacred spaces. His talk will compare the Aztecs'  
imaginative and creative responses to colonization with the ways that  
Mexican and Mexican-American artists, scholars, and activists have  
recalled Aztec myths and symbols in constructions of their  
contemporary identity. Carrasco will meet with high school students  
for informal discussion before his public talk.

Mesoamerica at the Newberry
November 18
This session is an opportunity to view and discuss primary sources in  
the Newberry’s collections from explorers and indigenous peoples of  
Mesoamerica. We will focus on, but not be limited to, Maya-related  
items such as Waldeck's sketchbooks and maps. After the session, be  
sure to view the items exhibited in The Aztecs and the Making of  
Colonial Mexico.
Catherine Burdick, Research Assistant for the Aztecs and the Making  
of Colonial Mexico exhibit and Ph.D. candidate in art history at the  
University of Illinois Chicago.

# The Two Conquests of Mexico: Conquistadors and Padres
Saturdays, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
September 30 - December 9 (class will not meet November 25)
10 sessions, $180
This seminar is designed to integrate closely with the Newberry’s  
fall exhibit, The Aztecs and the Making of Colonial Mexico. The  
conquest of Mexico is part of the grand narrative of imperial  
European expansion. Grand narratives, of course, mix folklore and  
myth with historical facts. We will begin with readings on the Aztecs  
and will continue with a discussion of the Seven Myths of the Spanish  
Conquest. We will conclude by assessing the imprint left by the  
Indians of New Spain on the creation of modern Mexico.
Donald McVicker holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of  
Chicago. He is a professor emeritus, North Central College, and a  
research associate in anthropology at The Field Museum.

Newberry Library
60 W. Walton Street
Chicago, IL 60610-7324
http://www.newberry.org/
to register: (312) 255-3700 or (312) 255-3592
fax: (312) 255-3680
e-mail: pubprog at newberry.org