Una Noche de La Gloria: A Night of Music, Poetry and … Fashion!
Writers, musicians, poets and fashion designers are among the many creative minds illuminating the West Side on Saturday for a “glorious” night that celebrates San Antonio’s talented Latino artists.
Una Noche de la Gloria: Contemporary Art in the Cultural Zone will be held from 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Oct. 10 in the historic Avenida Guadalupe Cultural Arts District. It features dozens of free events that cater to any taste -- from Tejano music, to classical piano, to poetry readings, independent films and even runway fashion
shows.
“La Gloria is a great concept, a festival for independent artists,” said noted San Antonio poet Anthony Flores. “The event is to promote what artists do, what they try to do and how they try to make a living.”
It’s not easy making a living in the arts during these hard economic times -- or anytime, for that matter. Thus, the annual “La Gloria” is a pivotal venue, not only for artists but for residents and tourists as well.
“La Gloria is a great vehicle for artists to get paid and get the recognition that builds a career, and at the same time, it provides the community with a place where they can come for free and experience some of San Antonio’s greatest artists,” said Flores, 43, a self-described starving poet.
Born in San Antonio, Flores left the city to earn a Creative Writing Degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Since then, he has seen the city’s art scene thrive.
“I found that San Antonio, especially in the last ten years, has become a very vibrant culture and a very nice market for all kind of artists; so there are many opportunities to make money here,” he said.
“Even though it’s not a steady income for me, I love the challenges of being able to survive as an independent artist in the city.”
Flores will be reading his own poetry, tinged with a bit of friendly sarcasm and black humor that depicts the Hispanic experience throughout the U.S. and the Americas.
“I have a great circle of Latino friends. Since I was a kid, I grew up with a lot of people who were immigrants. I listened to their stories and I talked to them,” said Flores. “I try to get different aspects and angles of the whole Latino culture.”
The event is sponsored by the Contemporary Arts and Literature Organization and City Council District 5.
For more information, visit www.lagloriaarts.com.
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Feature photo courtesy of Anthony Thepoet on Facebook.
