Just west of Washington Monument, you can explore other Americas, from rich traditions to recent experiences of native sons and daughters who’ve navigated geocultural seas.
The site is the Art Museum of the Americas. Ensconced in a splendid Spanish Colonial mansion, this little-known gem showcases art from Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Breaking Borders/Rompendo Fronteras,” the newest exhibition, features photographic and digital art conveying what it means to be a Salvadoran citizen of the world.
One ofthose citizens is Mario Quiroz. “A photographer cannot create anything new; however you can use existent symbols to communicate your ideas,” said the Gaithersburg transplant, referencing his depiction of a man caught in Suchitoto, El Salvador, painting his own shadow. To Quiroz, this represents self-creation: “We think, and then we exist.”
“Finding ways of staying together” (“Encontrando maneras de seguir juntos”) preserves a fresh Eastern Shore view on Hooper’s Island. The artist spotted a door bearing a Mexican flag and clothesline draped with colorful apparel in assorted sizes. “Crab industry workers,” Quiroz realized. “That’s where the title came from, because these folks don’t have the traditional family interactions due the nature of their work.”
The show’s other locally anchored visual voyagers include Clara de Soto, who explores spiritual unity, and Muriel Hasbunn, whose site-specific “Documented” community blackboard displays visitors’ narratives.
Upstairs, a stunning array of Central American art spans decades, media, movements and countries. Surreal characters from the subconscious of Benjamin Canas share space with Jose Antonio Velasquez’s intricately detailed rural village. Mythic figures emerge from twilight fog in a mesmerizing oil/mixed media from Alberto Dutary.
“Rafaela Herrera Defending the Fortress Against the Pirates” recounts the 1762 invasion of Nicaragua. Its artist, Asilia Grillen, began painting at age 65 after decades spinning embroidered allegorical tales. From magical sculptures to painted documents of politically charged violence, this is an expedition worth making.
Art of the Americas
“Breaking Borders” and “From the Collection: Central America” are on display through Jan. 21.
Venue: Art Museum of the Americas, 201 18th St. NW, Washington
Admission: Free
More info: 202-458-6016 or www.museum.oas.org
