Portugal & Poland
Artist: Margaret Machado (Portugal) & Natalia Vowles (Poland)
Artist statement:
To me, culture is a kind of art. It gives you a foundation on how to live your life. Culture is a way to pay respect to those who came before you and allowed you to live. It’s important not to let diversity disappear and to retain that sense of pride and identity, as well as to protect unique ways of life. That goes back to art. Art is the colors, shapes, and styles of life and thought that surround us as we grow up. That’s culture to me. It’s in the way we decorate our homes, and it’s the food we eat. Culture allows us to respect values the way our ancestors did. Living today so far away from where my family originated, it’s hard to know exactly what my culture should be. Finding those connections, those details, and knowing my history and heritage gives me a little direction in life. One can’t walk if they don’t have a foundation to stand on. Culture, knowing my own family’s history gives me a foundation on which to succeed as a person. It allows individuals to be connected to something greater and build on their future through their past. Using art to express culture means representing history and all its diversity. It’s a visible way to show each other a taste of our cultures, lives, and hearts.
-Margaret Machado (Portugal)
Sponsorship available
Current and Former residents of Watsonville that share this mix cultural heritage of Portugal and Poland:
- Amato
- Azevedo
- Beebe
- Bennett
- Davis-Lerma
- Garcia-Cruz
- Gregorio
- Keeley
- Krilanovich
- Lisaola
- Olivarez
- Quezada
- Reese
- Rojas
- Roche
- Rolon
- Shelley
- Theriot
- Velez-Lopez
- Williams
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