ASU's Art Museum will open a Mexican folk art exhibit this Saturday and showcase nearly 200 pieces of work by different artists from Mexico.
The show is in the top gallery and will display various art pieces gathered by Valley residents Kathleen and Richard Vanesian. The couple has traveled extensively across Mexico in the past 25 years in their quest to collect art pieces.
The gallery has been repainted to better depict the Mexican culture. The once-white walls have been showered in festive colors of red, green and yellow. Each color depicts a certain element of importance.
The collected works deal with three major categories - religion, patriotism and tourism - which overlap one another.
"We thought it was beneficial for our audience to see this display because it is such a rich collection, and the proximity of Arizona to Mexico adds more emphasis to the display of these pieces," said John Spiak, co-curator of the exhibit.
ASU students took to the idea of having a Mexican art show.
"It is a great idea because it brings multicultural art in[to] the museum setting," said Anne Aballe, an art senior.
The collection contains a variety of art pieces, ranging from rugs to masks to statues - all of which represent the Mexican culture and religion.
There are various statues dispersed throughout the gallery, representing different eras and depicting the evolvement of art through time.
Spiak said sainthood is depicted in this evolvement, and a Mexican artist composed a statue of Saint Jesus Malverder, the saint of drug dealers.
"This is an example of contempary art because it depicts the shift from saints of children to this particular saint of a drug dealer," Spiak said.
The museum employees included a great deal of student helpers who help install the exhibit and secure the premises.
The student workers were excited about the exhibit and already had their favorites picked.
Lindsay Palmer, a photography senior, said she enjoyed the entire exhibit.
"I really like the paintings on the tin and copper because they are different and interesting kinds of narrative," she said.
The few who set up the display also had a chance to derive inspiration from the pieces.
"The painted colors are bright and appealing to the eye, and are inspirational," said Matthew Braendle, a traveling tourism junior.
"I think it will attract a lot of people because there is a variety for all ages, from maps to wall hangings, blankets to throw rugs," Braendle said. "You name it; everything is in this exhibit."
Reach the reporter at jenifer.javia@asu.edu.
