El Sol y La Luna hosts fundraising dinner for Oaxaca-based women organization focused on saving native maize seeds. MAMAZ Collective is a non-profit women’s arts organization that strives to raise awareness about our environment and our native seeds through art, food, and culture.
May 24, 2010 (Austin, TX) – What a better way to emphasize the importance of biodiversity than through our foodstuffs? This is the goal of the MAMAZ Collective (Mujeres Artistas y el Maiz/Women Artists and Maize) who brought the El Maiz es Nuestra Vida / Maize is Our Life exhibit to the Austin this spring. This traveling contemporary art exhibition features art from women who are concerned about Mexico’s native maize seeds, and through their artwork narrate the history of maize throughout the Americas, demonstrating its fundamental role in providing nourishment to innumerable societies. The fact that maize is in danger of extinction due to the arrival of genetically modified seeds and the global economy’s demand for maize for uses other than nutrition are alarming, as are their effect on cultural memory and biodiversity. This important, groundbreaking exhibit will travel to San Antonio in the fall.In order to help MAMAZ's various initiatives, including funding for El Maiz es Nuestra Vida / Maize is Our Life, El Sol y La Luna Restaurant (600 E 6th St. 444-7770) will host a fundraising dinner for on Monday, June 14th, 6-9 pm with proceeds benefiting MAMAZ outreach programs. The dinner's highlight is the authentic menu by guest Chef Pilar Cabrera, Executive Chef and co-owner of the highly acclaimed downtown Oaxaca's Restaurante La Olla and Casa de Los Sabores cooking school. Cabrera, of indigenous Zapotec heritage, learned the basics and many of the secrets of the Oaxacan cocina from her maternal grandmother, and has been featured in such prominent publications as Bon Appetit and The New York Times among many others. To compliment her menu there will be a cash bar, featuring Mexican beer and El Sol y La Luna's signature margaritas. In addition, a raffle will include items donated by the women in the collective such as a jewelry from Luisa Restrepo, woven pillow from Lourdez Perez, cookbooks, greeting cards by Austin's Blue Corn Press, t-shirts, MAMAZ market bags, and other unique items. MAMAZ will also have small graphics, bags, aprons, quilts and tortilla cloth holders, made by indigenous Oaxacan women, for sale. This is sure an opportunity not-to-be missed and it's all for a worthy cause. Tickets are only $35 (cash bar not included) and are for sale at El Sol y La Luna, Tesoros, and La Peña.
About MAMAZ Collective
Headquartered in Oaxaca, Mexico, its members span across Mexico, United States and Canada. Members include artists, curators, cultural promoters, chefs, craftswomen, writers, and scientists, all working together to disseminate the mission statement. For more information or to join in their efforts, contact Marietta Bernstorff, Director of MAMAZ Collective: oaxmaiz@yahoo.com
