Women’s ‘Crosses and Crowns’

The dual nature of women’s roles in society is the theme of “Crosses to Bear, Crowns to Wear,” a multimedia exhibit by two Latina artists that opened Friday at Self-Help Graphics in East Los Angeles.

Pasadena-based artists Val Echevarria and Raegene Vavra have created a mixed-media exhibit of sculpture, paintings and other works, all based on the theme of women’s burdens and triumphs from a Latin American point of view.

“It’s looking at women in terms of their roles in society,” said Tomas Benitez of Self-Help Graphics. “It’s about some of the things endured by women in every society across the board, but from a Latina perspective.”

Crosses and crowns--some sculptured, some painted, others assembled from various materials--will be the recurring theme that ties the works together. The crosses represent the emotional and physical baggage women are sometimes forced to carry; the crowns represent triumphs real and perceived--as when someone is placed on a pedestal.

“Crowns to wear can be baggage as well,” Benitez said.

This is the fifth exhibit the Self-Help gallery has presented this year that deals with women’s issues and highlights the work of local female artists. It is part of an ongoing program at the gallery to acknowledge 1995 as the International Year of the Woman.

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“Crosses to Bear, Crowns to Wear” runs through Aug. 19 at Self-Help Graphics, 3802 Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. An opening reception will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. today.

Information: (213) 881-6444.