Fuentes, Tina 2001-11-09

This interview features Tina Fuentes as she discusses her background and her art career. In this interview Fuentes provides details about her family background and history and how she got started painting. She then moves on to describe getting her master’s degree in art and trying to get her art into a gallery upon graduation. She ends the interview by explain how the contrasts she went through while growing up have influenced her art work.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: Tina Fuentes

Additional Parties Recorded:

Date: November 09, 2001

Location:

Interviewer: Leslie Dutton

Length: 00:31:12

Abstract

Short Abstract: Introduction and background information; Her stepfather’s proclivity for the spoken language; Starting painting; Getting her master’s degree; Her feelings going into college after facing prejudice in the public school system; Tina’s family history; Other influences on her work

Long Abstract:

Background, Born in San Angelo, Moved to Odessa when she was 5, Inspired by her Grandmother, Titles in Spanish, Mother remarried to Salvador Carrero, Carrero had artistic abilities and may have influenced Fuentes, Had radio and TV stations in Spanish, Admired her father’s shows, Also a maintenance worker, Mother cleaned houses for wealthy people, Fuentes’ husband is part German, Painting, Wanted to be a Spanish major, Was not allowed to speak her language in school, they were seriously reprimanded, Took art as an elective, Became enamored with art, Did work study in the art department, Odessa College, Delmos Hickoff, Professor at Odessa, Convinced Fuentes to become an art major, Parents were disappointed, Parents thought she was going to have the life of a “starving artist”, North Texas State University, Art Education, Came natural to her, Loved it, Bachelors Degree, Taught for a year in Abilene, Went back for her Masters, Masters in Studio, Went to Houston, Went to an art gallery in hopes of having her work shown there, Owner of the gallery taught her lessons of the business even though she did not show her work, How did it feel to not be allowed to speak Spanish, Very difficult, Spoke broken Spanish for awhile when trying to communicate with her grandmother, Did not feel nurtured or respected, Difficult looking for a job, Discriminated against, Was spat on at work on her lunch break at 15, When she would go to the theater the bathrooms read “whites only” “blacks only” and she did not know which to use, 1950’s, Racial Riots, La Raza, Family, Grandmother lived in San Angelo, Father came from Mexico through Acuna, A lot of the family migrated to Chicago, Biological father’s parents were from Spain, Husband was part German, Last name was Burgess, Changed pronunciation to sound Hispanic, Artwork, High energy, Extremities, Loved the strong contrast between black and white, Had to acclimate in order to survive and advanced

Access Information

Original Recording Format: audio cassette and mini-disc

Recording Format Notes: available in reading room

Transcript: available on dspace <https://hdl.handle.net/10605/363339>

Related Interview: Fuentes, Tina 2001-12-18

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