Washington, D.C.’s The Phillips Collection presents Calder Miró, an exhibition of two great twentieth century artists — American sculptor Alexander Calder (1898-1976) and Catalan painter Joan Miró (1893-1983). The exhibition opened Oct. 9 and runs through Jan. 23, 2005.

On exhibit until March 20, 2005, Rufino Tamayo: A Search for the Essence presents a selection of 41 “mixographs” from the collection of Mixografia®, Los Angeles, and 34 other works by Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo. Mixographs, a sort of mixed-media collage, captured the textured luminosity of Tamayo’s original works.

Francisco Matto. “Composición sobre fondo negro,” 1958. Copyright Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin.

With America/Americas, The Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin integrates American and Latin American works of art in a new permanent installation set to open in February 2006. The installation will consist of 300 works by over 275 artists dating from the late 19th century through today.

In Mexicans & Americans: Cracking the Cultural Code (Nicholas Brealey Publishing; June, 2004), author Ned Crouch examines the critical differences between Mexicans and Americans and suggests ways for them to live together in the 21st century. With analysis of language and cultural differences, Crouch draws on his lifetime as a non-Hispanic American working and living together with Mexicans and Mexican-Americans both in the United States and in Mexico.

Marisol’s authorial debut, The Lady, the Chef, and the Courtesan (Rayo; Sept., 2004), draws on both the author’s own life and the Latin-American saying that a woman must be a lady in the living room, a chef in the kitchen, and a courtesan in the bedroom. Pilar, A Chicago journalist, returns to Venezuela for her grandmother’s funeral and discoveries the woman’s journals full of advice and secrets about what it means to be a woman in all three rooms.

Journalists Robert Montemayor and Henry Mendoza collaborate with The Tomas Rivera Policy Institute to bring us Right Before Our Eyes: Latinos Past, Present & Future (Scholargy Publishing, Inc.; Sept., 2004), an examination of the widening role of Latinos in American life. This story of the Latino experience emphasizes the political and economic power of the Latino population, calling on Latinos and all Americans to recognize the necessity and prudence of embracing Hispanic leadership.
 

As he nears the end of his life, a 90-year-old journalist clings to his youth when he falls in love with a beautiful prostitute in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s newest novel, Memoria de mis putas tristes (“Memories of My Melancholy Whores,” Knopf/Vintage Espanol; Oct., 2004). The English translation, “Memories of My Melancholy Whores,” will be available in late 2005.
 

Under Her Skin: How Girls Experience Race in America (Seal Press; Dec., 2004), edited by Pooja Makhijani, explores the influence of race on the lives of children in the United States. The collection of essays presents the voices of a diverse group of women, including Ana Chavier Caamaño, whose sense of home is split between South Dakota and the Dominican Republic, and Esmeralda Santiago, the author of “When I Was Puerto Rican” and two other memoirs.

The title says it all. Popular Univisión telejournalist Maria Antonieta offers another glimpse into her personal trials and triumphs, full of warnings and advice, with her latest book, En el Nombre de Comprar, Firmar … y no Llorar: Cómo me Liberé de mi Adicción a las Tarjetas de Crédito (“In the name of Buying, Signing … and Not Crying: A Shopaholic’s Descent into Credit Card Debt and Her Climb Back to Financial Freedom,” Rayo; Jan., 2005). The English translation will be available later in 2005.

In November, Ember Media and the William J. Clinton Foundation launched the second edition of TheKey2: An Interactive Guide to the Top Colleges and Universities for Hispanics. The free bilingual CD-ROM, in conjunction with The Princeton Review, offers Hispanic students advice on institutions of higher education and post-college employment, guiding them through the application and financial aid process, providing profiles of over 200 schools, and suggesting the skills and college courses necessary for various professions. TheKey2 is available at www.thekey2.com.

Kids’ band JUMP5’s sixth album, “Dreaming in Color,” was released Sept. 21. The energetic collection of songs imparts a message of self-esteem, confidence and healthy living that children and parents alike will appreciate.