- info@aha-projects.org
The Mary Lou Duarte Salazar
Fine & Creative Arts Charitable Trust
Our mission is to help under privileged individuals with financial assistance pursuing careers in the fine and creative arts.
Mary Lou Duarte Salazar was born in in the 1940’s in what was known as el barrio de la Sonorita district in South Phoenix, Arizona.
Accomplished Artist from a challenging un-expected start:
With no traditional training Mary Lou one day picked up a paint brush and a set of water colors, probably a set that belonged to her now grown daughter, and started to paint. The first thing she painted was the Coca Cola girls from a serving tray she had laying around the house. Remarkable she was very good at it. She kept painting sometimes on the walls and furniture in her house. Eventually she decided to take an adult class to improve her skills. The instructor asked her what type of medium she was interested in using. Mary Lou didn’t know what the art
term medium meant. Another person said acrylic, oil, water color? Mary Lou
replied water color. “I want to paint portraits in water color”. The instructor
replied “It’s too hard to paint portraits in water color, nobody does it”. Mary Lou was already doing it and doing it very well.
A world where every creative artist, regardless of background or circumstance, has the resources and opportunity to create, grow, and thrive.
Historical Relevance:
Mary Lou in her portraits captures the essence and souls of the women from the barrio as well as women from around the world. Her focus is dedicated to women of simple means and captures the honesty, innocence and soul of that person in her paintings. In addition, Mary Lou also painted fired pottery she titled “Los Nino’s” capturing the simple festivities celebrating birthday and holidays she remembers growing up.
A truly unique phenom:
Hundreds and thousands of years ago paintings were done in caves all over the world, France, Spain, Africa. Petroglyphs and beautifully done pottery are constantly uncovered all over the world as well. In nearly all cases little is known of the creator or artist. Was it a man, a woman or even a young child with no instructor or professor to teach them? We know who painted the last supper in a wall in Milano Italy, and who painted the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel we also know who painted the walls in Mary Lou’s home and who captured the essence of familial get together on fired pottery.
It was Mary Lou Duarte Salazar and I don’t want the world to forget that.
