Texas Border Business
McALLEN, Texas – The International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS) presents an exhibition curated by UTRGV MFA Alumnae Cristina Correa and Fatima Lai presenting works by high school art students from IDEA Public Schools San Juan and Brownsville ISD’s Rivera High School. The exhibit entitled Student Crossroads: Contemplating Uncovered Spaces will be exhibited at the IMAS through July 10, 2022.
This student exhibit showcasing a series of painting, sculpture, and other mixed media was inspired by Uncovered Spaces, an exhibition organized by Dr. Katherine McAllen and curated by Raheleh Filsoofi, featuring nationally recognized artists including Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Wendy Red Star, Margarita Cabrera, Erika Diamond among others. The project serves as space for women and female-identifying artists and scholars to discuss their art practice related to gender, identity, and social norms. This exhibition seeks to connect the creative process, shared knowledge, and feminine solidarity in a collaborative and community-based arts research project in South Texas.
According to Fatima Lai, MFA Visual Arts and AP Studio Instructor at Rivera High School Brownsville, Texas, “We all remember the past, look forward to the future, and hope that our present allows us the chance to learn. Through these ‘crossroads’ we are given the opportunity to decide what to do, what to stop, and what we must change to become the person we are meant to be.”
Student Crossroads contributes to a growing program of regional student art exhibitions at IMAS where secondary art teachers guide young artists to explore their creativity and communication through artistic expression, often focused on a theme, topic or in conjunction with an exhibit at the museum. IMAS Executive Director Ann Fortescue stated, “It is an honor to be able to showcase these talented young artists at the IMAS, an accredited museum and affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute, and to provide opportunities for our community youth to present their artwork to a comprehensive regional audience.”
Visitors can view Student Crossroads: Contemplating Uncovered Spaces in the Welcome Pavilion Community Gallery at the IMAS. This exhibit is supported in part by H-E-B and the UTRGV Center for Latin American Arts.
