Marty Quiroz, passed away earlier this morning. I did not know him well, just having met him a month ago, but over the years I heard many wonderful things about him. Friday evening June 25, 2010 at the close of the Imagenes de la Revolución Exhibit in Detroit,I shared a few moments with him again. He was with two of his close friends in Mexicantown at a restaurant across the street and they called me to have a shot of tequila with them...in the parking lot...out of the trunk of his car...My mom warned me about stuff like that, but I did it anyway. I was glad I did as I saw this gentle man with his bato friends lift a toast to their evening. Ahhh...summer in Michigan. Below is an excerpt from a 2009 press release quoting another Michigan artist, Diana Alva about Marty's work.(for full copy of the press release see: http://www.pontiac.mi.us/cac/pdf/hispanic2009press.pdf)
"She spoke with artist Marty Quiroz who teaches art at Mayberry Elementary School in Detroit. He is a member of CLAVE (Community Latino Artists, Visionaries and Educators) a group that works with students in an after school art program. Marty specializes in painting, sculpture and art history, works with acrylics and computer generated art. “Much of my work,” he says, “is an exploration into the subconscious. You can equate many of my works with jazz improvisation. Peace, meditation, Mexican mythology, Latino music and healing are themes that shape my work. Art is illuminating; it connects us to the mysterious around and within us. Art is essential to our evolution.”
I wish you well Marty and that you have gone with the peace and healing that shaped your work.
Diana Rivera
dianar@msu.edu
