Monday, July 31, 2023

WOMEN OF DISTINCTION: LAURA LOPEZ CANO

 

LAURA LOPEZ CANO: 


A WOMAN OF DISTINCTION IN TEXAS




By Jacqueline Quinones

 


Many Comadres outside of Texas know her, and Comadres everywhere recognize Laura Lopez Cano's artwork used as the logo for Las Comadres Para Las Americas.


Commissioned over 20 years ago by Nora Comstock, Las Comadres continues to use Laura's painting (updated to five diverse Latinas) for the Count on Me Book cover. A teen version of the Comadres Five was used recently for the 2023 Worldwide Comadrazo in April, where Laura also led an art workshop.

 

Born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Laura joined Las Comadres in 2001. Her contributions have been many from providing workshops on several different art topics to donating raffle items. Of course, her greatest contribution has been the Las Comadres logo. It depicts a colorful, inclusive and eloquent sisterhood; it's a visual representation of what it means to be a member of Las Comadres. As an artist myself, Laura's artworks inspire a sense of collective spirituality, community and admiration. Her colors draw you into her world and how she sees it. She has such a fluid and flexible approach to her visual artistry since she uses many different materials and modalities to espresso herself.

 

We are so proud to hear that she has been selected as a Woman of Distinction in Texas. Her humble response posted on her Facebook page: "I am so honored and grateful for being named a Woman of Distinction by TAMACC (Texas Association of Mexican American Chamber of Commerce).” The award was presented on Friday, June 16. 


Laura has a very long list of accomplishments from Exhibitions at the Smithsonian Latino Center to the Women's Museum in Washington DC, and speaking engagements related to leadership training. In a previous presentation Laura describes Art as healing:  "Art is also the weeks and months, and years of self- discovery, frustration when what is in your head can not be expressed and pure joy  when  it all comes together in a masterpiece."    




This article was published in the Comadres Connect! Summer 2023 newsletter.



 



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