NEWS
B Y E M I LY D U N N A N
S L U G Q U E E N F R I D A B A B O S I TA
SPORTS A SLUG UNIBROW
P H O T O BY AT H E N A D E L E N E
A NEW QUEEN IS CROWNED
The Patron SLUG of Arts and Culture
T
he newly enthroned 35th SLUG Queen Santa Frida Ba-
bosita plans to use her new position to further the arts and
raise awareness for Latinos and people with disabilities in
Eugene.
“Babs,” as emcee Bananita Sluginsky called her, was
crowned Friday, Aug. 11, after competing in the annual pageant at
the Park Blocks downtown. Judges included a coterie of old queens
(the proper term for those who have finished their “rain”); Lindsay
Selser, a transportation planner at the city of Eugene, known for
her work on Eugene Sunday Streets; and Eugene Weekly’s own
Camilla Mortensen, in addition to an audience member.
The queen’s alter ego, Mija Andrade, spoke with EW at the
Lincoln Gallery, home of an art studio run by Oregon Supported
Living Program (OSLP). A food-themed exhibit entitled FEAST
graces the walls until Aug. 25.
Andrade has attended the SLUG (Society for the Legitimization
of the Ubiquitous Gastropod) coronation for at least 15 years. She
needed no convincing to compete once she developed her persona.
Santa Frida Babosita, the patron slug of arts and culture, sports
a slug-version of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo’s unibrow, and her
special talent is painting self-portraits, like her namesake.
Babosita means “little slug” in Spanish, further strengthening
Babs’ ties to her Mexican heritage.
In addition to the talent, costume and Q&A portion of the com-
petition, bribes have long been a part of winning the SLUG queen
crown. As Old Queen Sluginsky said, “Bribing for little stuff is a
thing you should do, but bribing for big stuff is an ethical dilemma.”
Andrade has known the old queens long enough to bribe them
with delightful precision. Bribes included an art-making party, a
cocktail night and handmade jewelry, among other things.
Andrade went to great lengths to win the SLUG crown. “To
me it just really emanates the eclectic and creative part of Eugene
that I feel very connected to,” she says. “It’s a fun way to keep us
community minded.”
As SLUG queen, Andrade also wishes to bring Centro Latino
Americano to Eugene’s attention. This organization is a “bilingual
cultural agency dedicated to the empowerment of the Latino com-
munity in Lane County,” according to its website.
Andrade says she loves that celebration is essential to Mexican
culture. She animatedly describes her visits to Mexico, where the
people publically rejoice in everything, even things our culture ig-
nores, such as death.
She hopes Eugene will heed the call to celebrate the mundane.
“Art is bound in the everyday,” the queen’s campaign materials
proclaim.
“People want hope. We need something to celebrate. Art is a
place where we unite the culture we’re born into with the culture
we create as a community and celebrate it!” Andrade says.
She says her platform is to “raise awareness of all the differ-
ent ways we express ourselves and how important they all are.”
Andrade regularly encounters these different modes of expression
in her work with OSLP.
OSLP helps adults with developmental disabilities integrate
into the wider community. It manages four programs: residential,
for adults needing constant care; supportive living, for adults living
independently; employment, for finding jobs and volunteer work;
and arts and culture.
The arts and culture holds classes in music, dance, culinary arts
and visual arts that are open to people of all abilities. The visual
arts workshops take place in the studio at the Lincoln Gallery.
Andrade used to teach the open studio class, where independent
art making of all kinds occurs. Now she serves as developmental
director of OSLP, meaning she raises funds and awareness by part-
nering with organizations in Eugene.
For example, OSLP partners with a local karate studio to host
its all-abilities dance classes.
Andrade beams as she recounts her experience watching a non-
verbal person laugh for the first time in years in response to a new
art medium. Art is a necessary outlet for alternative self-expres-
sion, she says.
OSLP seeks to break down the barriers between people who
don’t have disabilities and the members of their community who
do. Andrade affirms that making art right next to someone who
cannot speak is powerful.
Shared experiences like these keep people coming back to the arts
and culture, as students or volunteers, she says. Creating bridges be-
tween community members is what Andrade is all about.
Andrade suggests that those who want to get involved with
OSLP visit an art exhibit, observe a studio class or go to artsand-
cultureeugene.org.
The new SLUG queen’s passion on behalf of her disabled com-
munity and her Latino community promises that she will use her
title to unify Eugene. ■
Sponsored by
University Church of Eugene
Please join us for
our Unity Sunday
worship service
& Gospel
music celebration!
Noon on August 20
EMU Amphitheater
1395 University St.
Eugene
Parking available on
University and Agate Streets
For more information
951-234-4785 or
kderek1979@yahoo.com
UniversityChurchEugene.com
eugeneweekly.com • A ugust 17, 2017
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