SANTA PAULA, CA – The Board of Directors of the Santa Paula Art Museum (SPAM) is pleased and proud to announce that the Museum will become the home of an important new collection of Latin American Art, to be known as The De Colores Collection.

The De Colores Collection is the brainchild of SPAM Board Member Xavier ‘Big X’ Montes, a Santa Paula native and well-known artist, musician and community activist.
Montes has been promoting and exhibiting Mexican and Latin American art since 1995, through his renowned and respected De Colores Art Show & Festival, and felt the time was right to establish in Santa Paula a permanent Collection of prominent Mexican and Latin American artists.

“My mission for The De Colores Collection, and the mission of the Santa Paula Art Museum, and are very similar”, noted Montes. “Both SPAM and De Colores desire to showcase and preserve the rich cultural and artistic heritage of Santa Paula, and collaborate with local schools to integrate art into the classroom. The new De Colores Collection will concentrate on the Mexican and Latin American influences of that heritage, and contain images with which many of the local population can identify. It’s a perfect fit.” Jennifer Heighton, Santa Paula Art Museum Executive Director agrees: “Santa Paula is the ideal place for such an art collection, and the Museum is the perfect collector.”

Montes is known throughout the state for his De Colores Arts Show & Festival, which will return to Santa Paula on September 4th for a 4-month engagement at the sparkling new Art Museum. “We are elated that the De Colores Art Show and Festival is returning to Santa Paula”, added Heighton. “To again have the color, flavor and excitement of the De Colores Show back in Santa Paula, and to stage it at our new Museum… it’s all very special.”

“This is a dream come true for me”, said a beaming Montes. “Everything is really beginning to fall into place. We’re going to have a brand new Art Museum, we now have a permanent home for the De Colores Art Show and Festival and we have the go-ahead to begin building The De Colores Collection of Latin American Art. The Board is clearly demonstrating inclusiveness and openness by being in support of the new Collection. It will definitely bring more visitor dollars to Santa Paula, and help the City’s economy. It’s all Muy Bueno!”