De Colores History

De Colores is the brainchild of Artist, Musician and Activist Xavier Montes.

Xavier has a long history of community involvement when it comes to art and music. Aside from the De Colores Art Show, he has also been instrumental in presenting other cultural productions throughout Ventura County such as: Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and La Virgen de Guadalupe (Mexican Virgin Mary) just to name a few.

Xavier is often asked to provide music on his harp at many community events which is particularly important because the music he performs is of his cultural heritage, Mexican. The art he creates could be classified as Latin American or Mexican. When Xavier was asked to be on the Board of Directors of the Santa Paula Art Museum and bring back the De Colores Art Show, he thought that the De Colores Art Collection would be a great addition to the Museum and the City of Santa Paula. Xavier says, "My cultural heritage is filled with color and passion, it is in my veins and in my heart. And so, like many artists, I am compelled to creatively express what I feel, what I see, and what I wish I could see."

Now everything is beginning to fall into place, a new art museum, two Santa Paula Collections, and a permanent home for the De Colores Art Show and Collection. Thanks to the Board of Directors who approved the recommendation to add a new collection, Xavier says the mission would be similar to the mission of the Santa Paula Art Museum: to showcase and preserve the rich artistic cultural Latino heritage of the City of Santa Paula and surrounding areas. Since the City of Santa Paula has roughly 70% Spanish surnames, it's only fitting that the art in the new museum also express, represent, and depict images the local population can relate or identify with.

Latinos or Mexicans have been a part of Santa Paula's history since before California became a state, hence the name Santa Paula. The mission will also include a collaboration with the local schools to develop an educational component that integrates the art into the classroom. The De Colores Art Show already draws the local community colleges to the exhibits where students are required to write essays on a given art piece or artist. The De Colores Collection will function similarly.

Former Marketing Director of the De Colores Art Group, Carmen Guerrero donated the first piece of the collection, entitled De Colores from which the De Colores logo was derived. The Museum is clearly demonstrating its inclusiveness and openness by being in support of the new collection. In the future, the De Colores Collection will have its own criteria for acquiring other work into the collection. In the bigger picture, the added collection will inspire tourism in Santa Paula as well as the Santa Paula Art Museum.

For more information about the De Colores Art Show, please visit: www.decoloresartshow.com 

Copyright by The Santa Paula Art Museum.  All photographs used in this website are the property of the Museum.  The Santa Paula Art Museum is a 501©(3) non-profit organization. Citrus graphics created by Patti Fallini.