Casa de Cultura Carlotta Petrina

Located on the corner of Madison and 15th Streets in Brownsville's Historic Downtown District, only three blocks from the Rio Grande River, the Casa de Cultura Carlotta Petrina is a charming venue that is near and dear to those that have enjoyed dozens of cultural events held there by BSPA and many others over the past 7 years. A few moments within its chalky walls, listening to the fountain in the patio, and you'll think you're in Mexico.

It's now is a museum that exhibits the paintings of the Italian-born artist Carlotta Petrina. Her illustrations in Milton's classic book, "Paradise Lost", won her two Guggenheim fellowships. Still painting into the last year of her life (1997), Petrina exhibited works from 1990 to 1994 in New York City; in Sangerties, New York; in Brownsville, Texas (where she lived at the time of her death); and in Matamoros, across the Mexican border.

In 2001, Casa Petrina, as everyone calls it, hosted a DIA DE LOS MUERTOS CELEBRATION on the evening of Thursday, November 1st, during the Fifth Annual Brownsville Latin Jazz Festival. It was the third year our good friends at the Mexican Consulate in Brownsville have produced this authentically Mexican event and this time, by fate and/or coincidence, Dia de Los Muertos fell on Jazz Festival week.

Agustin Lara During this year's festivities, one of Brownsville's top pianist, Dr. Francisco Rocafuerte and THE top tenor, Antonio Briseño, paid homage to the greatest Mexican composer, ever... Agustín Lara, on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Since he lived most his life in the state of Veracruz, the beautiful dancers of Unlimited Dance, in full and authentic costumes, danced Bambas and Huapangos, the haunting melodies from that state. If you have RealPlayer why don't you listen to La Bruja (The Witch).

As usual, there was a ceremonial altar, sugar skulls, cut-paper decorations, lots of candles and flower offerings for the dearly departed and, oh yes... good food and drink for the living!

For more information and images on Mexico's Dia de Los Muertos tradition, click on the following image for a great article on the subject by Bill Begalke.