Revisiting Our Latin American Art Auction

Gregorio Luke and Alex Slato

May 27th, 2010, Bowers Museum, Santa Ana

Nearing our 10th anniversary as an organization, we celebrated with friends and supporters. We wish to thank Gregorio Luke, Alex Slato, Olga and Fernando Niebla, Consul Alejandra Garcia Williams, The City of Santa Ana, all of our wonderful TecMa volunteers and OCCTAC staffers for making the Latin American Art Auction a fabulous event.

A Bronze By Felipe Castaneda

Gregorio Luke and Alex Slato
Well known art world personalities Gregorio Luke and Alex Slato team up and join the auction as special guests. GREGORIO Luke provides his usual informative and entertaining narrative on the artists and their works. Alex Slato conducts the auction bringing his long experience in the Latin art world thought the U.S. and Latin America.

Consul Alejandra Garcia Williams

Gregorio Luke is an expert on Mexican and Latin American art and culture. He is the former Director of the Museum of Latin American Art, Consul of Cultural Affairs of Mexico in Los Angeles and the First Secretary of the embassy of Mexico in Washington D.C. He has given over 1,000 lectures in museums and universities in Mexico, Europe and the United States. He has spoken at institutions such as The Library of Congress, The Smithsonian Institution, the San Diego Art Museum, the Detroit Institute of Art, and universities such as Harvard, Columbia and Georgetown among others. In 2005 The Ebell of Los Angeles honored him with the Life Achievement Award, 2006 he received the El Angel Award by the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts and in 2007 he was recognized by CATE (California Association of Teacher’s in English). In 2008 he was recipient of the KCET Local Heroes Award. Website: http://web.mac.com/gregorioluke/Site/Home.html

Alex Slato is a well known arts executive professional with a career that spans over 20 years. He is an accomplished director and professional auctioneer his capabilities have enhanced and raised the profiles of the various arts organizations he has been involved with most recently the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) where he served as Deputy Director, Associate Director and Vice President of Exhibitions and Special Projects, respectively.
In his various roles at MOLAA he helped enrich the scope, value and importance of the museum’s permanent collection, temporary exhibitions, art auction and symposium. He also strategically planned and created alliances and collaborations with other national and international museums and universities, and brought major collectors, donors, scholars and funding prospects to the museum. His accomplishments also include the organization of Latin American art fairs, art auctions and various lecture series on collecting Latin American art at national symposia. Through all these efforts he has created more opportunities for art sales and art donations to various art organizations.
He is an active board member in the following organizations: Arts Council for Long Beach - Public Arts Commission, The Alive Theater, Venezuelan American Endowment for the Arts (VAEA), International Kids Fund Auction – Jackson Memorial Hospital, LatinArt.com, Agustin Cardenas Foundation, and the Latino Los Angeles Welcome Committee where he serves as Fundraising Co-Chair.
Contact Information available upon request.

TECMA
TECMA is an all volunteer Orange County organization of professionals with close ties to a large group of graduates of top tier Mexican universities that reside and work in Orange County and is dedicated to the advancement of the Latino community in Orange County by offering educational opportunities that focus on technology, entrepreneurship and culture.
Website: www.tecmaoc.org