Borderland Art Exhibit at Guadalupe Center’s Latino Bookstore

In the heart of San Antonio, visitors to the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s Latino Bookstore Community Gallery can immerse themselves in borderland artwork until the end of May. The exhibit features evocative works from renowned artists Celeste de Luna and Chris Escobar, offering visitors a glimpse of life and death on the border during the tumultuous decade of 1910-1920.

The art exhibit accompanies the traveling showcase, Life and Death on the Border 1910-1920, created by Refusing to Forget. This nonprofit educational organization is dedicated to bringing awareness to the historical ethnic violence along the Texas-Mexico borderlands.

The Guadalupe Center’s executive director, Cristina Ballí, has expressed that this exhibit serves as an opportunity to bring contemporary relevance to historical issues through the talented works of De Luna and Escobar, both of whom have direct experience living on the border.

Despite being born in Illinois, De Luna was raised in the Rio Grande Valley since age eight. This bi-cultural upbringing has given her unique insight into multiple perspectives on border migration. Her woodblock print, Sunflowers and Windmills, is a blending of cultural references, merging old myths with new technology in an effort to better understand these complex issues.

Similar to De Luna, Escobar was born outside of the borderlands in Brigham City, Utah. However, he spent his youth working in the fields alongside his parents in the Rio Grande Valley. His vibrant colored pencil and pastel drawings and paintings are often direct representations of his personal experiences. They unveil the narratives of the regions’ vaqueros and migrants, their celebrations, and the nightlong fiestas that were an inherent part of ranch life.

The Life and Death on the Border exhibit featuring De Luna and Escobar officially opened in November and will be on display at the Latino Bookstore Community Gallery until May 31. The store welcomes visitors free of charge, offering a unique opportunity to appreciate borderland artwork and learn more about the history of the Texas-Mexico borderlands.