Museum of International Folk Art

Muralists Explore Borders and Walls

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2019

MEDIA CONTACT


The Museum of International Folk Art (MOIFA) is honored to host a talk on March 24, 2019, with artists Israel Haros Lopez, John Paul Granillo, and Juan Lira, of Alas de Agua Art Collective. The museum commissioned a mural from the Collective which hangs outside the Mark Naylor and Dale Gunn Gallery of Conscience. The talk, taking place from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm, revolves around the mural itself and the mission of the Alas de Agua Art Collective.

The mural titled “Build Those Walls, We Come from the Stars” depicts a wall decorated with both ancestral imagery and scenes of modern life, backed by differing landscapes. On one side the scene unfolds in front of New Mexico’s mesas and desert terrain, while on the other viewers see the Andes mountains of Peru. The work ignites conversation about borders and walls, asking how and why divisions are drawn and who is affected by them. Diversifying artistic narratives speaks to the ongoing exhibition in the Gallery of Conscience, Community through Making from Peru to New Mexico (Comunidad a través de la Creación de Perú a Nuevo México) on view until January 5, 2020.

Community through Making combines art and activism as it explores promoting artistic wellness within communities. The multimedia exhibition features video, prints, sculpture, artwork, and stories created by participating artists and organizations. Featured works prompt dialog about various issues from addressing plastic waste to healing communal trauma through artistic expression.

Alas de Aguas Art Collective joins the conversation as a community resource. The grassroots organization serves populations that have been marginalized throughout history and in current society. This includes immigrants—both documented and undocumented, queer individuals, artists of color, and Native artists. Alas de Aguas Art Collective seeks to empower these counter-narratives through providing resources and artistic platforms. Their mission reflects back on the mural, placing individuals over conflict-ridden dominance with a singular message: These cultures are as resilient as they are unique.

MOIFA welcomes Israel Haros Lopez, John Paul Granillo, and Juan Lira as they discuss the intrinsic value of art in communities and the power of outreach and diversity.

 

Public Talk: Build Those Walls, We Come From the Stars

Location: The Museum of International Folk Art, Mark Naylor and Dale Gunn Gallery of Conscience

Time: 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm

Date: March 24, 2019

Tickets: This event is free with museum admission


Related Photos

Build Those Walls, We Come From the Stars

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