It is not a painting of Uncle Sam or George Washington, but that of a tattooed cholo that welcomes visitors to the new “America, The Beautiful” exhibit at the El Paso Museum of Art.
As museums across the United States mark the nation’s 250th anniversary, the museum’s newest exhibition, “America, The Beautiful: Selections from the Zoe Diaz Collection,” explores U.S. history through the perspectives of Chicano, Mexican American and other contemporary artists.
The exhibition includes paintings, sculptures and mixed-media works that focuses on themes of national identity, immigration, political power and social justice. The works invite visitors to consider how people experience history differently through their own perspectives.
Several works by El Paso-connected artists Adriana Corral, Gaspar Enriquez and Luis A. Jiménez Jr. place the U.S.-Mexico Borderland at the center of those conversations.
Gaspar Enriquez’s “Tirando Tiempo” welcomes visitors into the gallery. The work by the El Paso-born Chicano artist from Segundo Barrio is displayed opposite a piece by Jiménez.
The exhibition ranges from Vincent Valdez’s “Since 1977,” displayed behind anonymous’ “Mexican Presidents Figurines,” to works featuring pop culture figures, highlighting the diversity of artists and subjects on view.
The exhibition will be on display July 25 through Jan. 3, 2027, in the Peter and Margaret de Wetter Gallery.
Gaby Velasquez may be reached at gavelasquez@elpasotimes.com; @gabyavelasquez on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso Museum of Art exhibit explores ‘America,’ border identity
Reporting by Gaby Velasquez, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Gaby Velasquez, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
