May 18, 2010
7:30 p.m. at the Guadalupe Theater
1301 Guadalupe
Street
$5
For tickets, call 210-271-3151.
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Josie
(Bustos) Mixon (Poet) was born in Mission, Texas. She is a survivor of sexual abuse and domestic violence. She was sexually molested repeatedly by a relative beginning when she was only 11 years old. At age 14, she gave birth to a son as a result of the continued abuse. At 16, she married her first husband, simply to get away from the abusive environment. Within the first month, her husband became physically and emotionally abusing her, once beating her so badly, she couldn’t pick herself off the floor. It took her 14 years to find the courage and support to leave the abusive relationship. In total, her abuses lasted more than 20 years.
It was during her abusive marriage that she began secretly writing poetry to escape the physical and emotional trauma. In 2005, she was introduced to poetry therapy by Jim Brandenburg, Certified Poetry Therapist and adjunct professor at San Antonio College. She found some of her old poems and began writing again. Shortly after meeting Jim, she found her voice and began reading at small venues in San Antonio. It was through her voice that poetic justice was gained for herself and for other victims and survivors of abuse.
Josie Mixon is now an award-winning awareness advocate and a force to be reckoned with. An activist speaking out to communities and support groups, she is now featured at various reading venues in South Texas. She is a highly sought after voice and has spoken at local and national conferences which focus on sexual abuse and domestic violence.
Her publication credits include two published collections of poetry – Reflections of My Battered Life and Of Flesh and Flesh and Bone I Am Woman, Surviving Abuse. She co-authored the screen play Can You Believe It, which premiered at the Carver Community Cultural Center, San Antonio, Texas in November 2008. In October 2009, she was the recipient of the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative’s Phoenix Award for her dedication and advocacy for victims of abuse who cannot speak for themselves. |
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Sam Villela
(Musician), lead singer, was born in Los Angeles, CA, is currently the Lead Singer of Sexto Sol, and also plays with the Elijah Zane experience. JP Leal, was born and raised in S.A., played with Things Between, Laura Marie, Bombasta, Spiders, Herb n Roots, Matt Barker, Des Fahie, and various blues & rock bands. Edward Mendoza has played with Stephanie Montiel, and currently plays with conjunto Palo Alto and Groupo Alamo. Travis Vela, lead guitarist, was born and raised in Victoria, TX, and currently plays with Bombasta.
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Monessa
Maria Esquivel (Performance Artist) was born in Harlingen, TX, and raised in San Antonio TX. She attended Palo Alto College and Texas Tech University studying theater. Monessa has been a company member with Jump-Start Performance Co. since 2002, acting in original works such as Otherwise Occupied, by Dianne Monroe, Something Else, Watermark 1.5, and Epcot El Alamall, a collaboration with Guillermo Gomez-Péna. Her collaboration with Annele Spector, As Filthy As it Gets, was voted by the San Antonio Current for Best Play in 2007. Esquivel is also an active member of Jump-Start’s Arts-Education initiative, teaching in after-school programs as well as projects with special populations. She has collaborated in performance art shows in Boston, MA, and Laredo, TX, including for Una Noche de La Gloria called POP YO TRUNK.
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Lupe's Art Blend is sponsored
by the City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs, Kronkosky
Charitable Foundation, Texas Commission on the Arts, theFund,
San Antonio Express-News, and La Prensa. |
