Project:MASA-5 "Mars Needs More Women"

Project:MASA-V “Mars Needs More Women” is an exhibit scheduled to open at Centro Cultural Aztlan(1800 Fredericksburg Rd #103, San Antonio, TX 78201) in the Spring of 2022 (March 24th  – June 10th). Catalog Release and Video Interviews Premier on May 4th, 2022, 6-9pm. It is part of the ongoing Project:MASA exhibit series which gathers Chican@ artists that use outer space and science fiction iconography with past present and future tropes to comment on social-political issues that affect our gente presently and into the future. Cathryn Merla-Watson Phd., co-editor of “Altermundos\’\’ —the first edited volume dedicated to theorizing Chican@futurism and Latin@futurism, has agreed to write the essay for the catalog that will accompany the exhibit. Merla-Watson will be curating the exhibit together with Iliana Pompa, MA Art History Candidate, UTSA. Merla-Watson is also collaborating with Latinx futurism scholar Matthew Goodwin (University of New Mexico) to plan a national conference at the University of New Mexico in Spring of 2023 and will include the exhibit in the conference. The two have an advanced book contract with The Ohio State University Press (New Suns Series) to publish a related edited volume following the conference. The local and state media will receive media packages and press releases.  The plan for marketing on a national platform for this exhibit will include Merla-Watson’s presentation of the exhibit participants within the scope of her research at a conference to be held at the University of New Mexico in Spring of 2023.

Additionally, performances by author/poets Victoria Garcia-Zapata and Anel I. Flores in  response to the exhibit for the catalog. All of which will be documented in video form for future reference and presentation. In total, this intergenerational exhibit will present fourteen women artists from the frontera of South Texas, San Antonio and Austin(the I-35, I-37, I-69 corridor) dealing with Chican@futurism through their works. They include Cat Cisneros, Celeste De Luna, Yareth Fernandez, Brandy Gonzalez, Suzy Gonzalez, Nansi Guevara, Mari Hernandez, Terry Ibanez, Lizette Ortiz, Pocha Pena, Sam Rawls, Natalia Rocafuerte, Mary Agnes Rodriguez, Ana Lilia Salinas, Liliana Wilson, Cindy Valderas Guillermina Zabala.