Countdown to ‘Artes de Mexico’ : Art: The festival, celebrating the influence of Mexico in L.A. culture, starts Saturday on the steps of City Hall.

“Artes de Mexico,” the four-month grass-roots arts festival celebrating Mexico’s influence in Los Angeles’ arts and culture, kicks into full gear this weekend with nearly 20 events including a gala opening ceremony on the steps of City Hall, a mural unveiling at Lawry’s California Center, an awards ceremony and festival at the Music Center, and several exhibitions of Mexican and Chicano art.

Saturday’s opening ceremonies kick off the festival’s nearly 200 events in visual art, theater, dance, film, music and poetry that will be held in various L.A. venues through December. “Artes,” along with the Mexican-government sponsored festival “Mexico: A Work of Art,” is planned to complement “Mexico: Splendors of Thirty Centuries,” a massive survey exhibition opening at the L.A. County Museum of Art Oct. 6.

“We wanted to open the festival with a sample of the kinds of things that people will see over the course of four months,” said Armando Duron, president of the “Artes” organizing committee. “This will be a spectacular event, with a whole cast of stars, (and) a lot of the festival participants are taking part in some way.”

The free, two-hour event begins at 4 p.m. with a “Procession of Artists” lead by the indigenous American dance group Cuica Calli. The ceremonies will feature appearances by Edward James Olmos, Paul Rodriguez, Cheech Marin, Ricardo Montalban, Luis Valdez, Apollonia, Roseanna DeSoto, Bobby Ross Avila and Carmen Zapata, and scheduled performers include musician Lalo Guerrero, the Francisco Martinez Dance Company, Grupo Folklorico de UCLA, Marcos Loya Band, Conjunto Hueyapan and Ballet Folklorico Ollin.

Among other “Artes” events scheduled this weekend, artist Luis Becerra will unveil his three-panel portable mural, “Libertad,” which will be on view at Lawry’s California Center as part of a Mexican Independence Day festival Saturday and Sunday.

The colorful 8x12-foot mural depicts the importance of the holiday (officially celebrated on Monday), which marks Mexico’s independence from Spain in 1810.

According to the artist, he used specific colors to illustrate the feelings and spirituality of the Mexican people during their struggle for independence--green for envy, red for their love and passion and blue to represent the souls of those lost in battle.

On Sunday, the Music Center will host two “Artes” events, a morning awards ceremony recognizing top Latino arts and entertainment figures, and a free afternoon concert featuring various musical groups.

Receiving awards at the 10 a.m., $40-per-person “Viva Los Artistas” awards brunch in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion’s Grand Hall, are Edward James Olmos (acting), Luis Valdez (directing), Martika (pop and Latin music), Kenny Ortega (choreography), Bea Rodriguez (dance) and Margo Albert (memorial).

From noon-5 p.m., the Music Center plaza will be the site of performances by Los Mariachi Sol de Jose Hernandez, Eddie Santiago, Guadalupe Pineda and Jose Luis (“El Puma”) Rodriguez. The free concert is sponsored by Spanish language radio stations KTNQ (1020 AM) and KLVE (107.5 FM), and a limited amount of free parking is available at the Department of Water and Power building at the intersection on Hope and 1st streets, with discounted parking available on the southeast corner of 1st and Grand and the northeast corner of 1st and Temple.

Also planned on Sunday is “El Grito de Dolores,” the annual City Hall Independence Day celebration sponsored by KMEX-TV Channel 34, the city’s Cultural Affairs Department and Times Mirror.

The event begins at 6 p.m. and features scheduled performances and appearances by Cuica Calli, music groups Menudo, Mariachi Juvenil Latino, Los Hermanos Zaizar and Los Caifanes, and Spanish-language deejay Humberto Luna.

The performances continue until 11 p.m., at which time dignitaries will lead the traditional grito (cry) for independence in memory of Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, who in 1810 urged the townspeople of Dolores, Mexico, to take up arms against three centuries of Spanish rule.

Among the other events planned this weekend are openings for several noteworthy art exhibitions, including the Santa Monica Museum of Art’s “Between Worlds: Contemporary Mexican Photography,” featuring 150 black-and-white and color works by 16 photographers, on Friday; the Southwest Museum’s “Mexican Life and Culture During the Porfiriato: The Photography of C.B. Waite, 1898-1913,” with 100 photographs documenting Mexican life in the decade preceding the Mexican Revolution of 1910-17, also on Friday; and “La Ilusion Perenne de un Principio Vulnerable: Otro Arte Mexicano” (The Perennial Illusion of a Vulnerable Principle: Another Mexican Art),” featuring works by nine Mexican-born artists living both in Mexico and the U.S., at Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design on Sunday.

Lineups for Mexican Festivals

The following is a list of events this weekend at “Artes de Mexico” and “Mexico: A Work of Art.”

TODAY

“A Collection of Underrated and Overlooked Mexican Poems and Stories,” readings by Luis Alfaro, Gloria Alvarez, Manuel Luna, Mary Tamaki and Benjamin Weissman of stories and poems by Mexican writers (Beyond Baroque, 681 Venice Blvd., Venice, (213) 822-3006). $6. 8:30 p.m.

“Between Worlds: Contemporary Mexican Photography,” 150 black-and-white and color works by 16 photographers (Santa Monica Museum of Art, 2437 Main St., Santa Monica, (213) 399-0433). $3 suggested donation. Wed.-Thur., 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fri.-Sun., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Through Nov. 24.

“Mexican Life and Culture During the Porfiriato: The Photography of C.B. Waite, 1898-1913,” 100 photographs documenting Mexican life in the decade preceding the Mexican Revolution of 1910-17 (Southwest Museum, corner of Marmion Way and Museum Drive, Highland Park, (213) 221-2164). $4. Tue.-Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Through Nov. 17.

“The Earth Itself,” group exhibition of works by women artists from Mexico (Parallel Project Gallery, 1634 17th St., Santa Monica, (213) 399-7024). Free. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Through Oct. 13.

Raul Anguiano, retrospective exhibition (Mexican Consulate, 2401 West 6th St, (213) 624-3660). Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-4:30. Through Oct. 4.

SATURDAY

Opening Ceremonies, celebrity appearances and musical and dance performances (L.A. City Hall steps, corner of Spring and Temple streets, (213) 765-5333). Free. 4-6 p.m.

Mexican Independence Day Celebration, the unveiling of Luis Becerra’s mural, “Libertad,” plus exhibitions of master craftsmen, and music, dance and theater events for children (Lawry’s California Center, 570 W. Avenue 26, (213) 224-5744). Free. Sat., 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun., noon-7 p.m. Through Sunday.

“Master of Mexico: Jose Clemente Orozco,” watercolors and drawings; and “Mexican Contemporary Artists,” group exhibition of paintings and sculpture (Heritage Gallery, 718 N. La Cienega Blvd., (213) 652-7738). Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Through Oct. 31.

“Simbolo Y Fuerza,” drawings, watercolors, paintings and sculptures by Linda Vallejo (Galeria Nueva, 912 East 3rd St., Suite 402, (213) 613-1347). Free. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Through Oct. 19.

“Herencias de Mexico 1991,” arts and crafts by contemporary Mexican-American and Mexican artists and craftspeople (Valley Plaza Recreational Center, 12240 Archwood St., North Hollywood, (818) 765-5885). Daily, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. $5 donation. Through Sunday.

“Mexican Art,” works by Mexican masters and pre-Columbian artifacts (Lodi Art Gallery, 690 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (818) 577-1544). Daily, noon-6 p.m. Free. Through Dec. 29.

“Tortugas y Televisiones,” oil paintings by Oaxacan artist Luis Castellanos and sculpture by Eduardo Olbes (Raleigh Studios Cafe, 5300 Melrose, (213) 466-3111). Free. Daily, 7-10 p.m., Through Nov. 2.

SUNDAY

“Viva Los Artistas,” awards brunch honoring Latino arts and entertainment figures (Music Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Grand Hall, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-7581). $40. 10 a.m.-noon.

“Viva L.A.!” musical performances (Music Center Plaza, corner of 1st and Hope streets, (213) 972-7581). Free. Noon-5 p.m.

“Esplendor Guitarresco,” solo guitar performances illustrating the diversity of Mexican musical heritage (Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum, Griffith Park, 4700 Western Heritage Way, (213) 479-5726). $15. 4 p.m.

“El Grito de Dolores,” Mexican Independence celebration with speakers, dancers and musicians (L.A. City Hall steps, corner of Spring Street and Temple, (213) 485-3335). Free. 6-11 p.m.

“La Ilusion Perenne de un Principio Vulnerable: Otro Arte Mexicano” (The Perennial Illusion of a Vulnerable Principle: Another Mexican Art),” works by nine Mexican artists (Art Center College of Design, Main Gallery, 1700 Lida St., Pasadena, (818) 584-5144). Free. Mon.-Thur., 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., noon-5 p.m. Through Oct. 26.

Beyond Baroque (681 Venice Blvd., Venice, (213) 822-3006). Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat., noon-5 p.m. “Viva!’s Mexico: Too Many Centuries of Denial, Invisibility and Silence,” cross-media exhibition of works by art affiliated with the organization Viva!, which promotes gay and lesbian Latino art and artists. Ends Nov. 2.

“Mexico: An Untitled Exhibition,” photographs, paintings and masks by African-American and Mexican-American artists (Black Gallery, 107 Santa Barbara Plaza, (213) 294-9024). Free. Wed.-Sat., 2-7 p.m.; Sun., noon-3 p.m. Through Oct. 13.