With an art-making practice spanning over 20 years, renowned artist Alberto Lopez, Jr. exhibited a timeline of his work at Crear Studio’s new Downtown Santa Ana space titled “iEL BAILE DE DÓLAR QUE NUNCA TUVE!” (The Dollar Dance I never had) from Saturday, September 4, 2021, to Thursday, October 7, 2021. This was Crear Studio’s inaugural exhibition, which was followed by a series of shows prioritizing local artists of color.

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“iEL BAILE DE DÓLAR QUE NUNCA TUVE!” (The Dollar Dance I never had) exhibition centers on “The Dollar Dance”, a Mexican dance tradition performed at wedding receptions during which guests “pay a dollar” to dance with the bride or groom. The monies collected help the new couple in their new life. Similarly, his performance invited the community to slow dance with the artist, allow them to take a dollar as a keepsake, and be part of the exhibition in the new space.

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About the Artist:

Albert Lopez Jr. is the eldest of four, the son of immigrant parents, and was raised in a lower-working-class household. He has shown work in spaces throughout California, such as Edward Girdinia Contemporary Art, Wuho Gallery, Eastside International, Otis College of Art and Design, as well as in the MexiCali Biennial in MexiCali, Mexico, the Mesa Contemporary Museum in Mesa, Arizona, the Miami Basel in South Beach, Florida, and many more. Lopez’s painting Half-Ass Donkey is in Cheech Marin’s Chicano Art Collection.