Almost two-dozen Latin airbrush maestros gathered in Pomona, California, last August for the inaugural Latin Airbrush Artist's Reunion. Mexican airbrush artist Gerald Mendez, who is a long-time veteran of the colorful artform, put on the event at his home in hopes of uniting Latino artists. "Since I've been in the airbrush industry for so long, I know most of the artists, the Hispanic artists and American artists as well," explains Mendez, who is also owner of GM Art & Design Center in Chino, California. "But every time I talk to certain artists, they didn't know each other. They only knew about them or about their artwork and since I'm Latin, I decided to call only those artists who are from a Hispanic background."
About 20 different artists, most of whom are well known in the industry, came equipped with art paraphernalia in hand ready to join in on the all-day event. Renowned airbrush artists like "Fonzy," "Wiro," Carlos Ruiz, Jose Mercado, Art Alvarez, Victor Sepulveda, www.victorsepulveda.com Gabriel Frias and Abel Izaguirre--who is most notably recognized for his unique lowrider mural work--interacted throughout the day, giving each other helpful insider hints. "It was not a competitive thing," says Mendez. "There were no jealousies about the work or anything. Everyone was sharing tips and we had a real nice time."
Mendez says that the event went so well that they are already planning on making it an annual event, where he hopes that he will unite more Latin artists. "It was a little hard to organize and get everybody together," admits Mendez. "But it turned out to be an extraordinary reunion." For more information on how to attend the upcoming Latin Airbrush Artist's Reunion, please contact Mendez at 909-627-8091.