Lure of Mexico
Notably in the 1920s-1940s, numerous American artists, writers, and musicians traveled to Mexico, attracted by the inexpensive lifestyle, politics, welcoming artistic community, and progressive government sponsored art programs. Artists were inspired by the murals of Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros as well as the powerful voice of printmakers from the Taller de Gráfica Popular. This exhibition will explore the influence of the Mexican Renaissance on American artists, reflected in their style, subject matter, and approach.
Drawn in part from the FWMoA’s permanent collection and augmented by works from public and private collections across the country, the exhibition will be anchored by portfolios by African American artists Elizabeth Catlett, Hale Woodruff, and photographer, Paul Strand as well as other works by John Taylor Arms, Thomas Hart Benton, and Ben Shahn.
February 20: Lure of Mexico Symposium
Join us for two speakers, lunch, and a guided tour of the Lure of Mexico exhibition! We welcome two experts with great knowledge of the lure of traveling and working in Mexico that many artists experienced in in the 1920s-40s. Dr. Gilberto Cardenas and Dr. Phoebe Wolfskill open this world to us for a day of learning and exploring the Lure of Mexico.
FWMoA Members: $20
Non-Members: $25
10:30am: Dr. Gilberto Cardenas
Dr. Cardenas is the Executive Director of the Notre Dame Center for Arts and Culture. He was the founding Director of the Institute for Latino Studies, 1999-2012 and he was Assistant Provost at the University of Notre Dame during this time and he held the Julian Samora Chair in Latino Studies, 1999-2012. He is a full professor in the University’s Department of Sociology.
Dr. Cárdenas has worked in the area of immigration for over forty-four years and has gained international recognition as a scholar in Mexican immigration. Three times named by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the 100 most influential Latinos in the United States, Cárdenas has authored and edited numerous books, articles, monographs, and reports on topics covering several fields of specialization, including international migration, economy and society, and race and ethnic relations.
11:30-12:30 Lunch
Enjoy lunch and conversation with the speakers and museum curators.
12:30-1:00pm Lure of Mexico Guided Tour
1:00-2:00pm Dr. Phoebe Wolfskill
Dr. Wolfskill is Assistant Professor in the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University. She holds a Ph.D from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and M.A., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2001. Research interests include The Harlem/Negro Renaissance, Race and Representation in American Art, Caricature and Stereotype, and Art and Appropriation.