Mascaras de los Incas April 9, 2010

Mascaras de los Incas
Artwork by 4th Grade Students from Sanchez Elementary

Exhibit: April 9 – May 7, 2010
Reception: Friday, April 9, 4:30 – 6:00 pm

La Peña presents “Macaras de los Incas” an exhibit of artwork by fourth grade students from Sanchez Elementary. It will be on display at La Peña’s downtown gallery from April 9 – May 7, 2010. The opening reception will be on Friday, April 9th from 4:30 – 6:00 pm with a performance by the Sanchez Elementary Choir.

The Incas ruled Peru until about 1530 when Spanish explorers conquered them. The Incas were master goldsmiths and used gold to make many different kinds of objects. When the Spanish conquered the Incas, they took much of their gold artwork and melted it down to make money. Many years later archeologists discovered gold masks and other artwork in ancient cemeteries that were buried with the dead.

The fourth grade students at Sanchez Elementary learned about the roles gold played in Inca society. They studied photographs of Incan masks and artwork before creating their own masks in sculptural and print forms. They used gold tin and made masks with a technique called repousse, which is same technique used by the goldsmiths of ancient Peru. Then they cut up paper to make collages resembling masks that were then used for gold collagraph prints on black paper. Each of the students chose one of their Inca masks to display for the art show at La Peña. A full list of the students can be found at http://www.lapena-austin.org.

Official Website: http://www.lapena-austin.org