Below is a chronological timeline exhibiting La Raza Artists’ Group’s history.
2011 La Raza is invited to exhibit “Idea of North- Visual Variations” at the St. Thomas- Elgin Public Art Centre
2011 La Raza exhibits in Santiago de Cuba at the Centro Provincial de Artes Plásticas y Diseño -Punto De Contacto, Norte, un Concepto, Curator Maricel Nápoles, The gallery exhibition was presented in the Ex-American Embassy in Santiago for the first two weeks on January. Catalogue, Reviews
The artists in collaboration with Cuban artists spend 3 weeks painting the mural Point of Contact – Idea of North.
2010 La Raza exhibits in Merida Mexico Galeria Jose Peon Contreras “Idea of North – Visual Variations, Curator Manuel May Tilan, Catalogue, Reviews.
2008 La Raza Group Event held in London, Ontario at a prestigious historic bank in the heart of the downtown. The exhibiton consited of large scale paintings by Francis Caprani ( La Raza) Ron Kingswood, Brian Saby. The exhibition was conceived by Gerald Pedros (La Raza).
2007 Sylvia Curtis-Norcross is invited to join La Raza Group.
2007 La Raza Group exhibits in Mexico City at a Raza Group at the Prestigious Salon de la Plastica Mejicana. Downtown Mexico City, close from The National Palace and the Zocalo Plaza, September 30th to October 28th, Art Exhibition ‘Mexico-Canada for Peace and Friendship’.
2007 La Raza Group The Argentinean/Canadian Mural Project. A combined team of La Raza Group and Argentine artists spent two weeks as members of the London Ontario community – sharing their experience, their expertise, their talent and their culture with Londoners.
2007 The Salon Officiel is designed by La Raza Group members, Tristan Tondino and Joséane Brunelle, on the site of the old Lupien Tavern and most recently the Roy Bar on the corner of Roy and Drolet in Montreal’s Plateau region. Inspired by late 19th century Parisian and 1920′ Berlin cultural salons, large format painted reproductions were executed by Tondino, Brunelle and MacLeod. These works are a selection of classic period reclining nudes, by artists like Manet, Degas, Bouguereau, and Boucher.
2006 La Raza East expands it membership and invites artists and musicians Joséane Brunelle and Tristan Tondino. MacLeod, Brunelle and Tondino exhibit at the newly formed The Maxwell Haus Gallery at the McAuslan Visitor Centre.
2006 La Raza East and West are invited by Argentinean artist Juan Bauk, the director of The Regional Movement of Muralistas, and began the International Argentine-Canadian Journey of Muralism for Peace and Friendship 2006. The Secretary of Culture and Education of Berezategui, Mr. Ariel Lopez, opened the central plaza exclusively for La Raza Group and Argentine muralists to paint the large panels that would be mounted in public locations around the city. Muralist Silvia Albuichex, representing the National University of Tucumán, generously shared with us the city, the nearby Andes foothills and their homes. Organized cooperatively through the Government of the Province of Catamarca, the Municipality of the city of Catamarca and the National University of Catamarca, under the direction of muralist, sculptor and cultural advisor Raul Guzmán, artists from Bolivia, Mexico, El Salvador and across Argentina participated in creating one city block of sculptural relief, mosaic and painted murals.
2006 La Raza Group invites new members Richard Tétrault and Esther Rausenberg after the Tlaxcala Mural Conference to be new Raza West members with Alberto Cerritos.
2006 La Raza Group exhibits, work from Pouch Cove residency at the Jens Thielsen Gallery, London, Ontario, Canada.
2005 La Raza Group go to Mexico City to visit people and sites from their 1988 trip. Then attend the 4th International Conference in Public Art & Muralism, Tlaxcala, in Mexico with Alberto Cerritos, Richard Tétrault & Esther Raussenberg.
2005 La Raza group attends the Pouch Cove Foundation art residency program in Newfoundland. They produce artwork for their exhibition People and Place of Newfoundland, which is exhibited at the James Baird Gallery, St-John’s, Newfoundland. Proceeds of their collective mural are given to the Janeway Foundation (a children’s hospital in St-John’s). La Raza are interviewed by Angela Antle for CBC. Their exhibition is reviewed in The Independent and The Express.
2003 La Raza Group returns to do community work with a group of London doctors who formed the Honduran Medical Aid Project. They donate all the proceeds of their artwork from an exhibition at the Jens Thielsen Gallery to raise funds for the Honduran Medical Relief Project. Monies gathered from exhibition helps build a hospital in the Honduras .
1997 Caprani, Pedros and MacLeod pursue solo careers.
1996 La Raza Group produces “The Starving Student Cookbook and Calendar”. Book is used to bring awareness to local food banks. The project is a success and sold at Chapters bookstores in Quebec and Ontario . They are interviewed in the Montreal Gazette and CJAD radio Station. This is the last project for La Raza until 2003.
1996 La Raza Group paints in Baddeck, Cape Breton .
1996 Denis Coupal writes article on Sally’s Pond Painters for Magazine d’Art.
1995 La Raza Group meet Chris Marks and former RCA President Bruce LeDain and are invited to paint at Sally’s Pond in Knowlton , Quebec . Scott MacLeod returns often to paint out of doors.
1995 La Raza Group paints in Fitch Bay in the Eastern Townships.
1994 “Urban Realities” exhibition is produced and exhibited at the Swords into Ploughshares Peace Center & Gallery in Detroit , Michigan.
1992 La Raza Group attends the Leighton Artist Colony at The Banff Centre for the Arts to produce “Owe Canada Owe Quebec” exhibition.
1992 “Patriarchy and Goddess” goes to the Temiskaming Art Gallery in Haileybury , Ontario .
1991 “Patriarchy and the Goddess” exhibition tours and goes to the Kilkenny Arts festival and is exhibited in Quan’s Morgue in Kilkenny, Ireland and later that year at the CNE for Discovery 91 in Toronto, Ontario.
1991 La Raza Group exhibits “Patriarchy and the Goddess” exhibition at the Guinness Hop Store Gallery for Dublin ‘s European City of Culture Festival . Exhibition is curated by Peter Walsh and opened by Anne Yeats, daughter of famed Irish writer W.B. Yeats. Cultural attaché Paul Cleary from the Canadian embassy and Irish artist Robert Ballagh attend. Robert O’Driscoll (editor of The Celtic Consciousness,) performs a memorable segment of his action poem “Nato and the Warsaw Pact are one”. The Montreal Gazette, The Globe and Mail, and the Irish Sunday Independent all write stories on the exhibition.
1991 La Raza Group initiates the “Totem de Piedra” project by a series of exchanges between Quebec and Mexican artists. Jocelyn Belanger from Atelier de L’Ile in Val David, organizes touring exhibition of the “Totem de Piedra” folios across Mexico and Canada . Folios are bought by The National Gallery of Canada, Musee du Quebec, and Museo de la Estampe in Mexico City.
1990 La Raza Group exhibits “Sanctuary” series at the Ernst Brandt Galerie International Kunst in Koln , Germany during reunification ceremonies. Cultural attaché Roman Lichinsky from Canadian Embassy attends and opens exhibition.
1990 La Raza Group receives contract from the Holder Brothers, owners of “Le Swimming” pool hall in Montreal . La Raza produces 30 panels for pool hall and work with Prix de Rome winner Jacques Rousseau. Raza is interviewed by Music Plus, the Montreal Mirror, Voir and Art Post.
1989 La Raza Group produces “Sanctuaries” exhibition for the Samuel Lallouz Gallery, Montreal , Quebec.
1989 la Raza Group participates in the “L’Ombre de Genie” exhibition with Association des Galeries d’Art Contemporain et La Fondation des Maladies Mentales, in Montreal, Quebec.
1989 La Raza Group is invited to exhibit at the Biennale du Dessin de l’Estampe du papier du Quebec in Montreal at Galerie Lavalin and in Alma, Quebec.
1988 La Raza produces and exhibits the “Art for Love and Freedom” exhibition at the Antidote Hair Salon in Montreal . This exhibition was produced around the “prisoner of conscience” theme and for Amnesty International and the National association of Japanese Canadians. La Raza is interviewed by Music Plus, the Montreal Gazette.
1988 La Raza Group goes to Baddeck, Cape Breton to paint.
1987 La Raza Group is formed at La Sociedad Mexicana de Artes Plasticas, in Mexico City , during exchange exhibitions and residencies between El Salvadorian artist Alberto Ceritos and Mexican artist Roberto Ferryra. La Raza responds to murals by Siquieros, Orozco, and Rivera and produce a mural and paintings for exhibition at (S.O.M.A.R.T.), cultural attaches from Delegation de Quebec and the Canadian Embassy attend. The exhibition is well attended and covered in the media.
