Exhibit showcases two Chicano artists

In celebration of the Semana de la Raza (week of the people), the WSU Museum of Art will exhibit the work of two internationally recognized artists through “Artist Without Borders: Alfredo Arreguin and Guillermo Gómez-Peña,” Jan. 7-Feb. 16.

In a special live performance, the museum will present, “El Mexorcist 2: America’s Most Wanted Inner Demon, A Spoken Word Roulette by Guillermo Gómez-Peña and Pocha Nostra Productions.” The performance will take place in Bryan Hall Auditorium at 7 p.m. Jan. 10.

“In a world where an imaginary border seems to become more real every day, Peña and Arreguin are two of many artists whose imaginations transcend it, said Museum of Art curator Keith Wells. “Their work does not seek to be an advocate for either side of the border, but rather to break down the border itself.

“Arreguin’s paintings offer an aesthetic of richly woven fragments of both cultures combined to become intensely ornate tapestries of celebratory colors and patterns,” he said. “Peña uses performance and photography to engage viewers from both cultures to reexamine themselves as well as the ‘other’. Using dialog to create a masterpiece of discourse, his profound humor and poignant wit carry his points straight to the conscience.”

The museum will feature the work of Arreguin in the gallery during the exhibition period, alongside a highlighted portfolio of Peña’s works on paper.

A major force in the pattern and fecoration movement, Arreguin is known for his intricate and brilliantly colored artworks. He is represented by the Linda Hodges Gallery in Seattle.

Peña is a founding member of La Pocha Nostra. According to the La Pocha Nostra Web site, its objective was “to formally conceptualize Gómez-Peña’s collaborations with other performance artists. In 1995, La Pocha Nostra moved to San Francisco’s Mission District where it has been based for the last 12 years.”

The group, founded in 1993, has created projects that range from performance solos and duets to large-scale performance installations. In 2001, the group became an officially recognized non-profit-organization.

The Museum of Art is located on Wilson Road across from Martin Stadium in the Fine Arts Center on the WSU campus.  Gallery Hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Thursday until 7 p.m., closed Sunday.

www.wsu.edu/artmuse

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