Art Exhibition, Fundraiser, Celebration
 WHAT: Four Winds Gallery in Old Town will host a special event exhibiting the drawings, paintings, murals of local San Diego artist and activist Salvador Roberto âQuesoâ Torres. The collection will cover a period of 30+ years from the 1960âs to present including work that emerged from the farm workers movement led by Cesar Chavez and the Chicano art & mural movement of the 1970âs.
 Event will feature a special artistâs presentation, a video clip presentation commemorating the Coronado Bridge featuring Torres, music, food donated by CafĂ© Coyote, and a raffle to win art pieces and a personal tour by Torres of Chicano Park.
 WHEN: Saturday, July 11th, 2009. Art Opening/Gallery hours10:a.m.-10: p.m: Artistsâ Presentation 6p.m./Video Presentation 8p.m.
 WHERE: Four Winds Gallery-2448 San Diego Ave-Old Town
 WHY: Salvador Roberto âQuesoâ Torres, born in 1936, spent the majority of his first six years on a cotton plantation in Northern California-remembering using the âshort hoeâ as he worked alongside his parents in the fields at this very young age. In 1942, the Torres family started a new life in Barrio Logan. It is at this time that his experiences formed close to heart his dedication to the community, as his home was one of dozens that were bulldozed to make way for the construction of the Coronado Bridge. Torres chose to take on the challenge of âmaking something tragic into something beautifulâ, and thus began a life time of work and dedication to the creation of incredible mural art, the transformation of Chicano Park, and to Barrio Logan.
 Torres has constructed 6 major murals in San Diego, as well as facilitated the creation and application of a majority of murals, most notably those found in Chicano Park. Described as âthe most important Mexican American artist and Chicano Activist of his generationâ by Jorge Mariscal, Prof. of Literature at UCSD, Torres âs track record includes picketing and marching for farm workerâs rights, teaching art and mural art to children, and of being the creator of one of the most recognized symbols of Chicano/Chicana Civil Rights Movement-the âViva La Razaâ series with the image of a red phoenix rising.