Featuring 27 artists and more than 80 works of art—including large paintings, collages, neon, photography and sculptures—Icons & Symbols of the Borderland: Art from the U.S.-Mexico Crossroads explores the region’s unique cultural motifs with the aim to expand narratives about the American West.
On view at the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art through January 19, 2025, the exhibition features members of the JUNTOS Art Association.
Richard “Ricky” Armendariz, Tlazolteotl as a Horse, 2013, oil on carved plywood, 48 x 96 in.
James Museum curator Caitlin Pendola says, “Exhibitions like this one, that study the collective identity of a region, are best experienced with an understanding that each work is significant and provides both an individual and shared perspective for viewers. Individually the artists and artworks provide insight into personal stories and ideas, but collectively they contextualize the borderland and offer a glimpse of the region’s culture and broad identity.”
One example is a large-scale piece by Richard Armendáriz, Tlazolteotl as a Horse, in which the artist pays homage to a deity of the Aztec Empire. In Our Lady of Guadalupe: The Epitome of Chicano Art, César Martínez combines a sacred icon with a secular one, the Mona Lisa,in a humorous commentary on the ubiquity of the Lady of Guadalupe in Chicano culture.
César Martínez, Mona Lupe: The Epitome of Chicano Art, 2015, digital print, 30 x 22 in.
Other featured artists include Mark Clark, exhibit curator Diana Molina, Victoria Suescum and many others.
“Now, more than ever, the U.S.-Mexico boundary is at the forefront of the national conversation,” says Molina. “The artists reflect on the lived experience both north and south of the border and the inherent Mestizaje, a blend of Indigenous, Mexican and American heritage. Providing a close-up view of the crossroads at a critical point in U.S. history, the artwork makes vibrant personal and political statements that inspire constructive dialogue and connective tissue to bridge divisions and better shape our future.” —
Icons & Symbols of the Borderland: Art from the US-Mexico Crossroads
Through January 19, 2025
The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art
150 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 892-4200, www.thejamesmuseum.org
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