Well I have to wish you all a very happy new year and hope that you have an incredible 2010, before I get distracted…again.
I can't believe it's been over a year since we were sitting on that airplane leaving "la cuidad de la esperanza" and realized there was smoke coming into the cabin as we hear "ladies and gentleman as you might have noticed…" then quick motion of the airplane turning left. What followed was the longest 7 minutes of my life.
Well that was our introduction to 2009 and now it's gone but not forgotten the year brought some great things, an incredible solo exhibit at Latino Arts, Inc. Milwaukee, great times with good friends and family, meeting new friends and all the rest of the trimmings!
Now it's time to look at present, with 2010 to look forward to lot's of creating in the studio and sharing all this again with the people on my life.
As I was sitting at my computer last week I noticed a email message facebook from someone that I thought would be a good friend who at last joined the modern world of facebook, what followed to my dismay was this:
Hi Everyone, Apparently, someone named Luis De La Torre is contacting my friends, especially those who live in Los Angeles, and asking to be Facebook “friends” because he is a friend of mine. He is NOT a friend of mine! He is a local Chicago D-list painter who tries to attach himself to people in the arts he can get favors or information from. He has already succeeded in "friending" some people I know on FB. Who you choose to be friends with on FB is up to you, but if you are contacted by this guy and he wants to be friends with you because you and he have "mutual" friends___like me, I would ignore it! If I were you, I would also "block" him through the security setting so that he cannot see YOUR friends. Sorry this has happened. If you have any questions, please contact me. Judithe Hernandez
Yes you can imagine my horror, this is just completely off the wall!
For the past years I have prided myself for going out of my way to help the people around me, whether it's letting them use my studio to work in, or getting them into galleries or introducing them to people that would support them by purchasing there work or set up exhibits for them. I even have given people materials to work with and shown them how to use the material.
And now this, well I didn't really feel that I needed to respond to this person because my track record speaks for itself and to tell you the truth I was kinda entertained with this since after I received this I was added to several people's FB friends list in LA, so I just let it slide.
But after showing this letter to a couple of trusted people around me and seeing there reaction of utter disgust I really felt the culprit had to have some kind of illness I mean why would a person who until a couple of months ago called herself a friend of mine, and that I even helped hang her work. Why would this person send out such a vile letter, then I remembered the advice of a friend when he told me " most artists are backstabbers, so watch your back you can't be honest with Artists" thank you C.T. I have learned from you maybe late but I have learned.
With that said Happy New year to you Post- Racial America I'm glad that we can all get along!
even if we can't get along within our own race or political parties or building!
