Arts Alive! podcast: Diana Molina, guest curator, James Museum

César Martínez,
“Mona Lupe: The Epitome of Chicano Art.” digital art.

Diana Molina, our guest on today’s edition of the Arts Alive! podcast, is creative director of the Juntos Art Association of El Paso, Texas. The city is bordered on the south by the Rio Grande river; on the other side is Juares, Mexico.

Molina is also the curator of the exhibit Icons & Symbols of the Borderland: Art From the U.S.-Mexico Crossroads, which is visiting the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art starting Saturday.

Consisting of 80 pieces including painting, sculpture, photography, neon and mixed media, Icons & Symbols is a bold, vivid tapestry of works that highlight the area’s blend of indigenous, Mexican and American heritage through rich symbolism, irony, hope and even humor.

“Borderline,” Oscar Moya, acrylic on canvas.

In the James Museum’s media announcement of the exhibit, Molina said: “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.”

In this podcast, we get to ask her questions about the unique perspectives of artists in that area – and about specific works on view at the James Museum.

Molina will lead a Gallery Tour at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

Click on the arrow to listen to the interview.