Milo Aronica Emerald December 8, 2013 1 hour

Guatemala is a hub for . Since Guatemalan culture is heavily based upon Mayan culture, the art, , and clothing are very traditional. In the clothing is very similar to Traditional Mayan clothing with vibrant reds, blues, and yellows. There are 22 different Mayan ethno-linguistic groups. The clothing in specific areas reflects the different cultural groups. For example, in the town of Nebaj the women wear a red skirt and a traditional Mayan blouse. The men wear straw hats, open jackets, and trousers. The food also reflects heavily upon Mayan and Spanish culture. One of the main ingredients in most Guatemalan is corn. For the Mayans corn wasn’t only their most important food. They believed God shaped them out of corn. With the arrival of the Spaniards, many dishes such as enchiladas and were integrated into the Guatemalan food culture. Then because the Guatemalan soil was so fertile, the Spaniards began to grow coffee, sugar, and cacao. These also became large parts of Guatemalan , inspiring many like . Finally Guatemalan art includes many traditional Mayan symbols and colors and is a large part of Guatemalan culture. Many of these art forms can be seen across the world today.

On the other hand there is a newer form of art in Guatemala that is highly political in nature. Guatemalan street art and political art often represent many of the issues Guatemala is currently facing including poverty, famine, disease, and corruption in the government. This art ranges from giant faces to pictures of the Guatemalan flag. One particularly famous piece of Guatemalan street art is a giant face made out of Mayan symbols and colors. This may symbolize that the Guatemalan community still values their Mayan heritage and resists globalization. Guatemalan art curator Emiliano Valdes states, “Those with political awareness are the product of a social, political and cultural situation that is very complicated, and their work gets at some very big questions – poverty, distribution and inequality of resources.” Valdes is saying that this art is a byproduct of the intense economic and political situation in Guatemala right now.

For my World’s Fair pavilion I am going to have a trifold. This trifold is going to have my projects on both sides and my political street art in the middle. Right in front of the trifold I am going to put some Mayan shape stencils. In front of the stencils there is going to be a large piece of cardboard. On the left or the right of the trifold there is going to be paper and non-toxic spray paint or just regular paint. My goal in the World’s Fair is to show people how to produce street art and also to teach people what it is like to use art as a form of political expression. My pavilion will bring a place where participants can express themselves through art, just as the Guatemalan street artists do.

http://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/national- traditions/guatemalan-tradition.htm http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/110811/art- guatemala-artists-central-america