Eduardo Escamilla/THE RIDER
The Center of Latin American Art hosted a panel discussion of scholars and artists that discussed how the embracement of both Spanish and English can enhance accessibility and create more authentic artistic expressions.
The event “The Power of Bilingual and Biliterate learning in the Art Gallery: the Gift of Bicultural Art to Serve the Community,” took place on Sept. 10 in the University Library on the Edinburg campus.
The event highlighted the critical role of biliteracy and biculturalism in art and museum curation, particularly within the unique cultural landscape of the Rio Grande Valley.
The discussion also emphasized biliteracy is not just about language but about connection.
Katherine Moore McAllen, the UTRGV director for the center for Latin American Arts and an associate professor, presented a bilingual publication for the Latin American Latinx visual cultural journal.
The publication, primarily in Spanish with an English appendix, connected scholars across borders and made academic work more accessible to a wider audience.
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Rigoberto Gonzalez, a lecturer in the School of Art and Design and a local artist, presented his work to attendees, which is deeply rooted in his experiences growing up on the border.
Gonzalez’s art often focuses on themes of immigration and the socio-economic conflicts along the Mexico-U.S. border.
He uses a style inspired by the 17th-century Italian Baroque, characterized by a dramatic use of light and shadow to depict contemporary issues.
One of his paintings, “La Guía,” was a finalist in the 2016 Smithsonian’s Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition.
The piece depicts a scene of a teenage girl who smuggled immigrants from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to El Paso, a story he learned about through interviews.
Another work, “Refugees Crossing the Border Wall into South Texas,” was a finalist in the 2022 competition. The painting, also in the Baroque style, monumentalizes the act of crossing the border, with figures emerging from darkness and expressions highlighted by light.
The conversation, then, shifted to the importance of biliteracy and biculturalism in museum exhibitions.
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Marcelo Ramirez Garcia Rojas, a curator at the International Museum of Art & Science, said curating bilingual exhibitions that included “community voices” and “student voices” in both languages helps reduce the “intimidation factor” often felt by first-time museum visitors, especially in a community where Spanish is the primary language for many.
The panel also expanded the dialogue beyond bilingualism to embrace the broader concept of multiculturalism.
Siria Carrasco, a fine arts graduate student, whose mom was from Honduras said her identity is “tri cultural,” a blend of Honduran, Mexican American and American influences, further demonstrating the complex layers of identity in the region.
Speakers also noted the Borderlands’ unique blend of indigenous, Spanish, Mexican and American influences.
Ramirez used the example of featuring a molcajete included in the “Mujeres” exhibition, with marks of use left throughout generations to illustrate how everyday objects can be elevated to art, representing cultural continuity.
The discussion concluded with the panelists stressing the importance of sharing regional and cultural stories to give them national and international relevance, underscoring how art can serve as a powerful tool for representation, preservation and understanding.
Eduardo Escamilla/THE RIDER
