Exhibit: “Painting the Border: A Child’s Voice”
Tuesday, February 10, 9 a.m. – Friday, April 10, 4 p.m.
The exhibit “Painting the Border: A Child’s Voice” features 33 paintings that express experiences of children affected by U.S. policies such as the MPPs (Migration Protection Protocols, 2019) that returned asylum-seekers to Mexico to await their asylum hearings. Those policies have been replaced today with expansive and unchecked power, allowing ICE agents to deport migrants and separate families, leaving children traumatized and emotionally adrift when family members are detained or deported.
These paintings take us into their world. The young artists who created the exhibit answered one question with their brush strokes: What do you think about the border? ¿Qué opinas de la frontera? The images reveal a longing for home, the experience of journeying, feelings of hopefulness, and, finally, the disillusionment of border realities. Seven years after these images were painted, the relevance and timeliness remain profoundly impactful.
This exhibit is a collaborative effort initiated by Skidmore College Teaching Professor Diana Barnes, PhD. It was organized in Juárez by Lucca de Alba, a dedicated advocate for migrants in her city and a well-known children’s author. NGO volunteers from Seguimos Adelante, and El Paso muralist Cimi Alvarado, along with a team of volunteers, accompanied the children in August 2019.
Visit and Contact: For group or class visits, please email the Refuge Gallery Lead Curator, Vincent Stracuadanio, at [email protected]. For individual tours, the gallery is open Monday through Friday, 9 to 4 p.m. Ring the bell for the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs.
Location: Canisius Hall at FCRH (2546 Belmont Ave, Bronx, NY, 10458)
