Gregorio Luke at the Ford Amphitheater

I had the opportunity to photograph Gregorio Luke's first lecture at the Ford Amphitheater, on Diego Rivera's life and work. Luke will be continuing the series with the art of Rufino Tamayo on Sunday, July 12th and the works of Miguel Cobarruvias on Sunday August 16th.

The Ford, an amazing open-air venue, with gorgeous historic architecture, is inset like a jewel into the side of a mountain and surrounded by lush trees and native plants.

Sajama opened the event with moving folkloric music and Dr. Guadalupe Rivera Marín, daughter of Diego Rivera, was presented with an award for her work and contributions, with words from noted filmmaker and son of Dr. Rivera, Diego Rivera Lopez, and Juan Marcos Gutierrez, Consul General of Mexico.

Luke's presentation on Diego Rivera was passionate and insightful, and occasionally evoked audible responses from the sold-out crowd.

University by the Sea, Sunday, 10/5, 10am-10pm

The University by the Sea is a neat one-day educational festival, with tours, classes, workshops, bands, weddings (?!), etc.

Come out and support a really unique event in the city of Long Beach.

On October 5, 2008, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., local artists, musicians, educators and activists will flood the transformed downtown streets with creativity and insight. Restaurants will open their doors to host classes ranging from sushi making to wine tasting to ballet.

And everything will be eco-conscious, right down to the facilities used at Schooled in Song II-Long Beach's most anticipated music event of the year. Featuring Sustainable Waves' solar-powered sound and lighting and a carbon dioxide-eating main stage, this Schooled in Song's set-up is U-Sea's centerpiece of sustainability.

Stroll through the Goods Gallery, made entirely out of recycled shipping containers. Lollygag around the Live Arts Corridor, where hundred of local artists will be impromptu-creating. Mosey over to Momentum Mobile Galleries-converted U-Haul moving vans coordinated by Flood, the world-renowned arts organization behind SoundWalk. Renew your wedding vows at House of Hayden-which will lapse back in time to its days as a wedding chapel.

But whatever you do, don't be late for class!

You can buy your tickets online at www.universitybythesea.com.

I took photos for Gregorio Luke, lecturer and recently installed part-time curator of the Latino Museum of History, Art and Culture, from last year's University by the Sea presentation on Che Guevara.











and my favorite photograph of Gregorio, which I shot on his last day at molaa: