Rhonda Taube on Contemporary Guatemalan Masquerade
Nestled deep in the heart of the western highlands, Momostenango, Guatemala, annually hosts a variety of customary, ritual dance-dramas performed during the féria, the public festival dedicated to Santiago Apóstol, the patron saint of the community. This lecture explores how contemporary events in Guatemala, such as the recently ended armed conflict, the consolidation and spread of globalized mass culture, and the rise of transnational migration to the United States have contributed to the development of new forms of religious worship, often expressed as dances. Primary to this talk will be a discussion of how indigenous K’iche’ Maya draw on foreign pop culture images to produce local meaning during the féria and which meanings are shared within society through public ceremonial life.
About Rhonda Taube:
Dr. Rhonda Taube incorporated her love of Mesoamerican art into a career as a professor of Art History at Riverside City College. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego and MA and BA degrees in Art History from North Illinois University. Dr. Taube’s research involves the contemporary K'iche' Maya response to neo-liberalism, trans-nationalism, and globalization as enacted through community festivals and performance.
Related Exhibition: Guatemalan Masks: Selections from the Jeanne and Jim Pieper Collection
This event is presented by The Fowler Museum at UCLA.
Event Date: Saturday, Jun. 8, 2 p.m.
Venue: Fowler Museum
Price: Free
The Fowler Museum is located in North Campus.
Parking is available in lot 4.
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