Por Kurma Murrain

Church was pretty interesting as the pastor described how he witnessed his grandfather’s 50th anniversary as pastor in a ceremony that took place at some building on the outskirts of town. Now that he’d become a pastor himself, his wife found a box of pictures as she was going through their annual spring-cleaning. He decided to take a look before throwing them away to realize… that the building where his grandfather used to preach was the same building where he was standing right now, twenty-three years later! I thought that was amazing, completely oblivious that God had told me that story to prepare me for what was about to happen to me.

I had gone to a routine car inspection maybe 12 years ago. I was attended by a man who handed me his business card. I looked at it and exclaimed, “That’s my father’s second last name! Maybe we’re related!” This last name is very popular though, so this might have been just a coincidence. We promised to stay in touch, but you know how that goes. In the meantime, he told his mother, who lives in Colombia, that he had met me.

Years later, I find myself in the Peruvian Festival. I’m strolling around when somebody calls out my name! When I turn, I see an old woman who speaks to me in Spanish. She tells me about my father, my uncle, all my aunts and cousins. She remembers taking care of me when I was little, she tells me who’s sick, who died, who moved, who’s had surgeries. She talks about my grandparents, their close relatives…

“We are family?” I hug her excitedly. “But, how did you recognize me?”

I lift up my eyes. There is a man behind her that she introduces as her son. “Don’t you remember me?” he asks, flabbergasted. I can’t find a place in my memory for him. He tells me I had visited his business years ago to get my car inspected. I was astonished. There are no coincidences. This woman, whose name is Elisa, her son, and I were put in the right place at the right time. So, I was related to this man after all?

She continues talking and I am fascinated. I tell her “we” have family in NY, Washington DC, Atlanta, and that I have met all of them. “What is your last name?” I ask. “Lozano.”

-Oh, that is your father’s last name then. Your mother’s surname is Murrain?

-No.

-Who are your grandparents? Sam and Ana? How are we related?

-Well, it’s not like that. What happens is…

-Are we cousins?

She is quiet and I start to become anxious.

-How are we related?

I insist.

-You’re not going to believe it.

My friends approach and I introduce her, her son, and his wife as family. Singer Wanda López is singing in the background. Suddenly the first notes of a cumbia song to which Eloisa and I scream at the same time.

-This is my song!

-¡Esta es mi canción!

She starts dancing, and with gracious cadence she stands in front of the singer. I go behind her, and everyone else at this huge place follows. That is amazing!! Her son is recording video, and my friends and I are delighted. Then the singer sings another favorite and our conversation is temporarily suspended. At the end of her performance the singer speaks to the audience, but looking at Elisa, says, “You have to give me the secret of that energy!” And she asks everybody to clap for Elisa.

There is much more conversation going on with Elisa’s son and daughter-in-law. Then someone recognizes me from a newspaper article, so I talk to this person, too. When I finally settle, I look back at Elisa.

-If your last name is Lozano, who is Murrain in your family?

She stares at me as if she is trying to make me read her mind because words are too hard to be uttered.

-Ay, Dios mío, are you my mother?

She laughs nervously and looks at her son.

She clears her throat, “What happens is… I dated your father 50 years ago.”

I crack up without really thinking about what she has just said. You know, it’s hard to imagine my father dating before I was even a thought. But you could see it in her eyes. For a brief moment Elisa is 20 again… When I stop laughing there are so many questions I want to ask her. I suggest we meet after I return from my vacation overseas; but she’s going back to her hometown in 3 days. I give her ALL my contact information and she says she will stay in touch… But you know how that goes.

Por Keudis Sanchz

Charlotte es una ciudad hermosa, mágica de lugares exquisitos y fantásticos, en esta ciudad el arte juega un papel muy importante para la comunidad y esto se puede apreciar en cada rincón. Aquí podrás encontrar museos, galerías, centros de arte, teatros, esculturas, murales y mucho más, les invito a sumergirse y disfrutar al cien por ciento de cada espacio en esta ciudad y por amor al arte te presenta un lugar donde puedes apreciar el arte en todas sus ramas les hablo del Laberinto.

En esta ocasión hablaré de un lugar único y maravilloso donde una gran cantidad de artistas de todos los medios que puedan imaginar tienen un rincón para representar su visión artística, a este lugar le llamo el laberinto. La enigmática figura del laberinto suele provocar una mezcla de sorpresa, fascinación e inquietud y aunque el propósito de este es una trampa con pasadizos que crean un reto mental a aquellos que ingresan a él y su propósito a escapar de este.

 Pero en este laberinto solo vas a desear perderte por horas y que el tiempo se detenga y se extienda para poder disfrutar cada segundo sin dejar escapar detalle alguno, este lugar cuenta con 3 niveles llenos de sorpresas y mucha magia única en su estilo, este laberinto cuenta con pasadizos en los que encontraras estudios de arte, salas de teatro, escuelas de música y galerías, cada nivel es un mundo o laberinto y cada uno totalmente diferente, allí más de 120 artistas trabajan en diferentes campos hacen vida y tienen su espacio o lugar donde llevar a cabo su expresión o medio artístico liberando así la creatividad en su máximo esplendor y variedad, donde cada cual brilla por su autenticidad. 

Lo que antes fuera un edificio de oficinas del gobierno del condado conocido como Hall Marshall Building, se ha convertido en un maravilloso centro de artes en cuyos espacios muchas organizaciones de la ciudad Reina trabajan con el propósito de promover las artes y la cultura para cada habitante de esta.

Este laberinto se encuentra cerca al corazón del Uptown de Charlotte o es parte de este, se ubica en el 700 N Tryon street, el lugar se llama  Visual and Performing Arts Center mejor conocido como VAPA Center. Muchas personas no conocen el lugar, ya que este solo tiene un año de haber abierto sus puertas. Allí podrás disfrutar de una gran variedad de actividades tales como conciertos, exhibiciones de arte, representaciones teatrales, stand up comedy y otras opciones de entretenimiento, también pueden aprender algunas destrezas como danza, fotografía, pintura, etc.

El primer Sábado de cada mes tienen una actividad llamada open studios donde cada artista abre las puertas de su estudio y comparten con el público su proceso artístico, el centro ofrece visitas guiadas a las que les instamos aprovechar, es la oportunidad de hacer algo diferente, conocer artistas y un nuevo lugar pasando un día maravilloso en familia, sumergidos en experiencia llena de arte. 

Cuando entres en este laberinto te darás cuenta de que cada espacio cobra vida e irradia luz y una armonía única, el espacio que un día fue abandonado se ha convertido en un lugar donde el arte se respira en todas sus expresiones, un lugar que no muchos saben que existe y que algunos de los que lo han visita ignoran todo lo que sucede en él. Un universo cargado de vibras únicas, en cada pared, espacio, el arte cobra vida y no deja de brillar. Te invito a adentrarte a este laberinto de infinitas maravillas.

Muchas gracias por visitarnos, esto lo hacemos por amor al arte.

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