Garcia
was
born
into
a
poor
family
in
La
Cieneguita,
a
small
rancho
in
the
state
of
Michoacan,
Mexico.
He
learned
from
an
early
age,
he
recalls,
"the
great
love
that
our
Blessed
Mother
has
for
her
children."
These
lessons
were
demonstrated
"through
my
mother's
prayers
and
her
annual
'mandas'
(promises)
made
to
Our
Lady
of
Guadalupe."
The
artist
began
to
draw
and
paint
in
elementary
school.
His
father
came
to
work
the
fields
in
the
United
States
during
the
Bracero
program
in
1949,
but
Garcia
really
got
to
know
his
dad
in
1965
at
the
age
of
thirteen
when
he
and
his
mother
and
brother
joined
him
in
the
States.
"My
father
thought
it
was
a
better
country
with
more
opportunities
to
succeed
in
life,"
he
explains.
Garcia
continued
to
draw,
using
the
back
of
paper
bags
from
the
grocery
store
because
he
did
not
feel
comfortable
asking
his
dad
to
buy
sketch
books.
In
ninth
grade
the
vice-principal
noticed
his
drawing
of
a
horse
on
the
back
of
a
paper
bag
and
asked
Garcia
if
he
had
learned
sketching
in
art
classes.
When
Garcia
told
him
"no,"
the
man
changed
two
math
classes
for
art
classes.
Garcia
has
spent
twenty-five
years
immersed
in
the
world
of
art
as
design
artist,
production
designer,
state
director
and
choreographer.
"My
years
of
experience
with
the
art
form
of
dance,"
he
reflects,
"have
taught
me
to
respect
the
greatness
of
our
indigenous
civilizations,
while
my
knowledge
of
Christianity
in
the
world
at
large
strengthens
my
inner
balance."
In
1978
Garcia
founded
the
dance
company
El
Grupo
Folklórico
"Fiesta
Mexicana"
in
the
city
of
San
Fernando,
California,
continuing
his
love
for
traditional
Aztec
dance.
As
director
and
choreographer
he
has
performed
throughout
the
United
States
and
Mexico,
with
1988
highlighting
his
tour
with
Linda
Ronstadt's
"Canciones
de
mi
Padre,"
as
well
as
her
1989
tour
of
"Más
Canciones."
In
1986
Garcia
was
discovered
while
performing
Aztec
dancing
at
a
Los
Angeles
Archdiocese
celebration
and
was
referred
to
Martinez
&
Murphy,
Inc.
of
Los
Angeles,
a
liturgical
arts
and
sacred
environment
company,
where
he
worked
from
1987-1995
as
an
the
in-house
artist
and
designer.
He
designed
such
special
works
as
the
vestments
and
miters
of
Pope
John
Paul
II,
as
well
as
all
three-hundred-fifty
Roman
Catholic
bishops
for
the
Pope's
visit
to
Los
Angeles.
Recent
examples
of
Garcia's
work
can
be
seen
at
the
Shrine
of
the
Holy
Redeemer
in
Las
Vegas,
Nevada.
Featured
work
in
California
can
be
found
at
the
Beatitudes
of
Our
Lord,
La
Mirada,
All
Souls
Catholic
Church,
Alhambra,
Saint
Bernardine
of
Siena,
Woodland
Hills,
and
Santa
Rosa
Catholic
Church
in
San
Fernando.
He
has
designed
fourteen
Guadalupe
images
in
the
United
States
and
Mexico.
"I
continue
to
celebrate
my
cultural
heritage
as
I
pay
tribute
to
my
religious
beliefs,"
he
explains.
Each
painting
in
Garcia's
personal
art
pieces
contains
the
image
of
Our
Lady
of
Guadalupe.
Because
his
work
deals
with
Mexican
culture,
traditions,
festivities
and
rituals,
"I
feel
if
she
is
not
in
there,
my
painting
is
not
complete."
Garcia's
personal
paintings
have
been
exhibited
at
the
Downey
Museum
of
Art,
the
Pueblo
Gallery
on
Olvera
Street
in
Los
Angeles,
Arte
Américas
in
Fresno,
the
Museum
of
Mexican
Art
in
Chicago,
and
the
Galeria
Posada
in
Sacramento.
He
has
also
been
a
featured
artist
for
the
Casa
de
la
Cultura
in
Las
Cruces,
New
Mexico,
the
Sacred
Arts
Festival,
Archdiocese
of
Los
Angeles,
and
Community
Centers
throughout
the
Southwest.
Garcia
is
aware
of
the
spirituality
of
his
work,
that
it
will
touch
people's
hearts
and
minds.
"I
am
always
very
conscious
that
I
must
do
the
best
work
of
art
that
I
possibly
can
in
the
studio,"
he
says,
"because
once
it
makes
the
journey
onto
a
sacred
space
it
is
going
to
do
more
than
what
I
have
done
in
the
studio."
He
feels
himself
"an
instrument
of
God
in
his
way
of
working.
I
take
this
very
seriously,
very
deeply."
Garcia
continues,
"I
feel
as
if
history
is
repeating
itself
in
the
need
to
renew
our
faith
and
love
of
mankind.
Even
as
Our
Morenita
saved
the
Mestizo,
I
believe
that
in
this
new
millenium,
Our
Blessed
Mother
will
again
guide
and
unite
all
of
her
people
throughout
the
world."
Learn
more
about
the
SHRINE
OF
OUR
LADY
OF
GUADALUPE
