Withstand:

Left: Verny Sanchez Harmony connection 5 , 2020 Oil on canvas 58 x 58 in.

Right: Tina Hernandez La Cempacihuatl, 2020 Photo ink-jet print in a vintage frame, 31 x 26 ½ x 3 in.

Latinx Art in Times of Conflict

BY AMANDA ANDRADE

THE HOLOCAUST MUSEUM HOUSTON OPENED its first juried exhibition in its newly expanded building in April 2021. The temporary exhibition, Withstand: Latinx Art in Times of Conflict examines themes of social justice and human rights through the art of the local Houston Latinx community. The multi-media exhibition includes one hundred artworks handpicked by two incredibly knowledgeable curators: Gabriela Magana and Rosa Ana Orlando. Born and raised in Mexico, Gabriela Magana is a young artist and curator currently pursuing a MA in Arts Leadership here in Houston. Her co-curator, Rosa Ana Orlando, is a museum specialist with more than fifteen years of experience in art collection management, exhibition planning and design.

Together, the curators selected one hundred artworks through an open call process, in which they invited local Houston artists to submit their art. Curator Magana says they wanted to hear directly from the Latinx community on “what impacts them, what they want to talk about, the images they are grappling with.” The exhibition would serve as a space to discuss difficult subjects, whatever

they might be. Houston Latinx artists jumped at the opportunity, and the museum was soon overwhelmed with an abundance of submissions. The CEO of the Holocaust Museum, Dr Kelly J. Zúñiga, said in a statement, “we knew Houston’s vibrant art community would show up in force … and are delighted to feature the artwork of such talented artists.”

The selection process involved three aspects. Artists were asked to share their ties with the Latinx community, and as well as an artist statement explaining the connection between the piece and the theme of Resistance & Conflict. The quality execution of the art was the third and final consideration. With over two hundred submissions, the curators had the tough task of narrowing it down to the final one hundred.

It was important to the curators and Holocaust Museum Houston that the exhibition be a space of social change. Believing in the power of art to be transformative, they set out to create a physical space that can change minds and amplify voices.

The art featured in the exhibition fits the general theme of Resistance & Conflict, but participating artists interpreted the topic differently, discussing a broad range of subjects from border relations to gender roles. Standouts include artist Angela Corson, who explores social issues like domestic violence and the criminal justice system. Other artists, like Angel Castelán and Koomah focus on the local Queer Experience. These Latinx artists share their profound stories, statements and artworks. The curators hope that the exhibition will be a platform to examine any and all issues that impact the community, to foster conversations, and ultimately, to empower social change.

Gabriela Magana hopes visitors see their own lives reflected in the art. She says, “I hope this empowers people, makes them feel seen, and raises awareness on the subjects being discussed.” The themes explored in Withstand are translatable to different backgrounds and communities. Latinx audiences will feel seen, but so will different communities. Ultimately, the art is about the human experience. Importantly, the physical location within the Holocaust Museum allows for a unique juxtaposition between the lessons of the Holocaust, and the issues brought up by the Latinx art.

The entire exhibition was planned with the modern digital age in mind. As a visitor walks through the space, they can use their smartphones to scan QR codes to learn more about each piece. Online, there is also a virtual walkthrough of the in-person gallery. This virtual tool aids those who are unable to visit in person, greatly expanding the audience of the show. Curator Magana says she hopes the virtual walkthrough will be used in classrooms. Additionally, there is also a virtual expansion of the exhibition, which includes new content and art not seen at the museum. The virtual expansion serves to develop on the same conversations and themes happening on-site, with new voices and artists.

Curator Rosado says ‘we hope that people outside of Houston would visit the virtual walkthrough, thus transcending the borders of our city. We also hope to have visitors from Houston exploring the virtual exhibition, and through it, expand on what they took away from the on-site.’

Guest juror Susana Monteverde, an art activator specializing in contemporary art, selected three artists from Withstand to win cash prizes for their work. The Holocaust Museum hoped the prize would encourage artists to participate, as well as serve to highlight the skill of the winning artists. “Selecting only three winners out of this multifaceted exhibition was one of the most challenging tasks in which I have engaged in a very long time” said juror Monteverde. “In selecting the prizes, I chose works that resonated long after I stepped away from viewing them.”

Wood Fancher Anthony The People of Mexico, 2017 Oil on canvas 48 x 60 inches

First place and a cash reward of $2,000 was awarded to Jessica Carolina González for her piece, The Respondent, an inkjet print from her series Es Una Lucha. The series is a visual study of the effects the bureaucracy behind deportation and legalization proceedings on the family. Gonzalez superimposes the legal archive on archived family images, thus merging the intimate with the removed.

Second place, which came with a cash reward of $1,500, was awarded to Angel Lartigue for his piece, Forensic Burial Map of Cadaver After Exhumation #2 and third place, with its $1,000 prize, went to Clinton Millsap for his piece Could Be King.

WE KNEW HOUSTON’S VIBRANT ART COMMUNITY “ WOULD SHOW UP IN FORCE … AND ARE DELIGHTED TO FEATURE THE ARTWORK OF SUCH TALENTED ARTISTS. ”

DR KELLY J. ZÚÑIGA

To visit the exhibition yourself, visit the Museum’s Mincberg Gallery and Spira Central Gallery before October 17, 2021. Sculptures are located in the adjacent Lester and Sue Smith Human Rights Gallery. Admission is free for those under 18, active military and their families, and museum members.