Two exhibits on display at the University of Colorado at Boulder tap into the complexities of immigration and border crossings and feature the work of several prominent Latino artists from Mexico and the Denver area.
The exhibits are part of a campuswide event called 聯Crossing Borders/Border Crossings: A Collaborative Exploration of Geographic and Cultural Boundaries Through Art, Conversation and Film.聰
聯Border Crossings聰 debuted at Norlin聮s HotSpot Gallery on Wednesday, Aug. 29, and will be on display through Thursday, Oct. 25. The exhibit features the work of Denver-area artists Ricky Armend谩riz, Carlos Fresquez, Quintin Gonz谩lez, Veronica Herrera, Josia L贸pez, Sylvia Montero, Alfredo Ortiz, Luzia Ornelas, Tony Ortega, Adriana Restrepo and Frank Zamora.
A bronze-and-travertine marble sculpture by Elsie Wood, whose maiden name is Graciela Elzira Ram铆rez, and a mural by Project YES 2006 Teen Art in the Community participants also will be included in the show.
聯Since we are all children of immigrants, it is imperative that we do not allow this issue to fuel racism and discrimination in our society,聰 said George Rivera, an artist, a CU-Boulder professor of art and art history and curator of both of the campus exhibits. 聯These artists provide us with food for thought as we try to understand the immigration debate.聰
Rivera said the artwork at Norlin is based on personal interpretations of issues surrounding immigration and international border crossings. All of the artists are connected to someone who immigrated to the United States from Mexico or they are immigrants themselves from Brazil or Colombia.
A free, public event to celebrate the opening of the Norlin art exhibit will take place on Thursday, Sept. 13, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the library聮s fifth floor. The local nonprofit group Dialogues on Immigrant Integration and the CU-Boulder library system are cosponsoring the event. At the gathering, Rivera will talk to visitors and introduce the artists, and there will be readings by local immigrant authors, small group dialogues and an international buffet.
A related exhibit at the University Memorial Center features original work by faculty from Mexico聮s National School of Fine Arts. The 聯Crossing Borders聰 exhibit opened on Aug. 27 and will run through Friday, Sept. 28.
In addition, the UMC Art Gallery will host a panel discussion on Sept. 17 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to explore the U.S.-Mexico border in both literal and figurative terms, as both a conceptual and physical phenomenon. Panelists will include Rivera, John-Michael Rivera, Karen E. Ramirez and Joni Palmer.
To contact the group Dialogues on Immigrant Integration, write to info@immigrant-integration.org or call (303) 443-0419, ext. 117.