Coming soon: Art by women to benefit women — the Transferencia Project will provide needed funds for a Cuenca women’s shelter

By Tom Larsen

Transferencia (Sp.) — an act, process, or instance of transferring.

March 2023 in Cuenca will see the culmination of nearly a year’s work as local women showcase their art to benefit Mujeres Con Éxito, the Cuenca organization that plays a critical role in providing support and assistance to the women and children who have been the victim of domestic violence.

Transferencia: Impressions of Our City, is the brainchild of Janda Grove, a North American artist now living in Cuenca. The project began in May of 2022. As Janda wandered and explored her adopted hometown, she decided she wanted to use her art to display and celebrate its cultural and architectural beauty. The idea of making rubbings of the architectural designs in the historic center of Cuenca emerged.

“It grew out of an idea, a scribble in the art studio,” she says, “a combination of rarely — or maybe never used — materials: oil pastels on vellum. The vellum is thin, so it is suitable for capturing the texture and line of something underneath. The oil pastels are soft, with rich colors, and can be overlaid, blended, smudged, and ‘washed out’ to softness.”

Janda enlisted the help of her friends, mostly expat women with some artistic backgrounds. They quickly determined that they should use the art to support the great work that Mujeres Con Éxito does.

The women met weekly to share and discuss their work as well as kick around ideas for the best way to showcase it. The group decided that the month of March 2023 would be devoted to showcasing the result.

The group currently has twenty-one pieces framed and expect to have thirty completed by the opening date. The works are very distinctive and collectible. All sales proceeds will go directly to Mujeres Con Éxito (except for a small percentage to IdiomArt for any pieces sold there).

On March 7, at 5 p.m. an event at Mujeres Con Éxito (Baltazara de Calderón 2-26 y Miguel Velez) will feature a video by Scott Cushing about the project.

Some of the artworks from the Transferencia project will be shown along with a brief slideshow about the project. Finger Foods and Cash Bar.

The artwork will remain on display through March 31. Hours: Monday – Friday, 12 – 5. https://www.facebook.com/AsociacionMCE/

The main exhibition of works will be at IdiomArt (Mariscal Lamar 14-25 y Estévez de Toral). Opening March 9, 5:30 to 7:30. Continuing through March 31, the work will be on display Tuesday through Saturday, 11 – 5.

On March 11, 2-4 PM, Janda will offer a workshop on making rubbings. She will present a slideshow: “Women Artists Then and Now” on March 18 at 7 PM (Doors open at 6:30). idiomartcuenca@gmail.com

La Guarida (Mariscal Lamar 22-23 y Luis Pauta) is also supporting the project. They will exhibit works from March 7 to March 31. Call 099 806 8071 to make a reservation for one of their wonderful events. https://www.facebook.com/LaGuaridaCuenca/

Mark your calendars for these fantastic events, showcasing not only the beauty of Cuenca, but the talent of the artists and the vital work that Mujeres Con Éxito performs for the most vulnerable among us.

For more information about the project:
jandagrove.com
EC cell 096 867 9260
US  612 224 2351
_____________________

Tom Larsen is an author and former Cuenca Expat. His short mystery El Comandante y el Artista—The Commander and The Artist—set in Cuenca, appeared in the January 2023 issue of “Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine.”