Fiesta Jarabe @ University of Houston

Born in El Paso, TX, Luis Jimenez completed Fiesta Jarabe in 1993. It stands 10 feet tall and is located at the University of Houston’s main campus. Jimenez utilizes materials that are associated with the commercial industry and the individuals who work in this industry. Fiesta Jarabe is the second of a series of five representations of a couple dancing the Jarabe Tapatio, the choreographic folk dance traditional to Guadalajara, Mexico. The first one in the series is at the Port of Entry at the US Customs and Border Protection on the Mexico-US border. This work by Jimenez celebrates the working classes and the diverse ethnic minorities by representing their bodies in a realistic style of monumental scale. The seasoned couple performs zapateando around the sombrero in full regalia Tapatia. The organic form of the sculpture captures their energies as they dance while contrasting their warm colors with undulating shapes and communicates the power of their bodies and their performance. Acquired in 2011 and on view since 2013 Fiesta Jarabe is one of the twelve works in the permanent collection of the Latino and Latin American artists of the vast Public Art in the University of Houston’s collection.

Creator: Luis Jimenez

Area: Houston / Third Ward-MacGregor