Texas Border Business
Edinburg, Texas – The City of Edinburg’s Cultural Arts Division and the Edinburg Arts Foundation are proud to present Species at Stake, a Nature Photography Exhibition by Mujtaba H. Naqvi that can be enjoyed at the Dustin M. Sekula Memorial Library and the Cultural Arts Division Virtual Gallery from November 9 to December 11, 2020.
Mujtaba H. Naqvi is a multimedia artist residing in South Texas since 2004. Born in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1977, he was encouraged to consider even the smallest creature. He was greatly influenced by the social and political injustices witnessed growing up in the seventh-most densely populated urban center globally. Those early experiences, paired with those gathered upon moving to the Rio Grande Valley, gave him a unique perspective on society, specifically the forms and types of oppression found globally.
Naqvi has been working on Species at Stake since 2016 and has taken thousands of digital photographs of South Texas wildlife documenting the countless creatures that are currently in danger due to human actions. Though integral to our ecosystem, most of these animals are easily overlooked and often forgotten because we do not interact with them daily. Naqvi enlarges the portraits to help the audience fully visualize and recognize these lives. When possible, Species at Stake is exhibited on the floor as an interactive exhibit to force the audience to question why they are often more uncomfortable walking on photographs of living creatures than on the creatures themselves. This action helps the audience have a better understanding of how easily we can overlook or dismiss these living creatures.
Species at Stake is part of the Edinburg Cultural Arts Division’s Exhibit Showcase program; the Exhibit Showcase program is committed to presenting a wide range of diverse and engaging exhibitions focused on contemporary culture. Artists are encouraged to submit a letter of interest to Magdiel Castle, Assistant Director of Cultural Arts, for showcase consideration. There is a time-artist ratio disparity that prevents us from selecting everyone; Edinburg-based artists and other artists from the Rio Grande Valley are our primary focus. Special exhibits are occasionally scheduled to foster visual and cultural exchange for Edinburg and surrounding communities.
The Artist Reception will occur via Zoom and Facebook Live through the Edinburg Cultural Arts page on November 17 , 2020, at 6 p.m. To participate in the Zoom artist talk, visit www.edinburgarts.com/exhibits. For additional information, contact us at 956-383-6246.
