Mansfield’s Richland County Public Library is hosting a local artist’s latest exhibition on the second floor gallery. Diaz, originally from San Antonio, Texas, moved to Mansfield when he was in the third grade. As a young boy, he developed a love for music, poetry and people. Art, in the way he expresses it today, was never in the picture for him until recently.
“I have always kept my art to myself. It’s a very scary thing to share,” said Diaz. His decision to display ‘Time-Capsulation of my Heart’s Inhabitants: an Optical/Poetic Homage’ was inspired from working with the people from Richland Newhope in Mansfield.
He created a special place in his heart for them when he started working there a few years ago and decided he would share his inspiration with others.
“There are other people in my art displayed here today that aren’t from Richland Newhope. Some are friends, and some are family,” he said as he pointed out a picture of his brother. These people all have special places in his heart, so he decided to give back to them by expressing his feelings toward them through images and written poetry.
Diaz moved from Mansfield to Columbus earlier in his life to pursue a career in music. While there, he made many friends, some of which were displayed and represented in the art display at the library. However, Diaz came back to Mansfield when he realized “squatting and being a poor musician got old. I needed a place to live and money.” That is when he landed a job with Richland Newhope, where he often teaches children basic art concepts.
The art is not for sale, it is just for show and inspiration. Diaz hopes his art displayed today emitted a certain “urban, ethnic feel.”
An excerpt from a poem written about his friends from Richland Newhope reads:
Six marvels strike chords of humanity, individually,/ but conduct stirring symphonies as a whole, in unison./ Their beauty,/ so phenomenal,/ is evidence to me/ that something greater oversees us all.
Diaz offered advice to people who want to pursue art: “Just do it. But get support from friends who are honest and will give you critical feedback. You grow from that.” For some years now, he has done just that. He has lived in downtown Mansfield, where there is an artist community, so he has developed a tight group of friends who inspire and spur each other on to continually grow.
Visit Diaz’s website at www.aureliovillalunadiaz.com to view some of his work or to book an event. You can also call his publicist, Violeta Chinni, at 419-709-4488.
