The FEMSA Collection, a Continental Vision at NHCC

Written by Gary Graziano Saturday, 28 May 2011 20:06

Albuquerque, NM - The National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) announces the opening of the traveling exhibition Colección FEMSA, una mirada continental.  Dr. Karen Cordero, Exhibition Curator and Professor in the Art History Department of the Iberoamerican University in Mexico City; and Lic. Rosa María Rodríguez Garza, FEMSA’s Cultural Programs Coordinator, present this major exhibition. The exhibition will remain on view through Sunday, August 13, 2006.

With special emphasis on Mexico, the exhibition features 59 modern and contemporary works of art dating from 1914 to 2004 by 56 Latin American artists.  Included are paintings, sculptures, drawings, graphic arts, installations, photography, and video.  This traveling exhibition comes to Albuquerque from the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey (MARCO), in Monterrey, Mexico.

The artists included in Colección FEMSA include such classic luminaries as Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siquieros, Rufino Tamayo, Wifredo Lam and Roberto Matta.  Also included are more contemporary artists such as Gunther Gerzo, Carlos Zerpa, Alejandro Colunga, and Enrique Carbajal (Sebastián).  Finally, there is new generation of cutting-edge artists such as Paula Santiago, Marco Arce, Mónica Castillo, Guillermo Kuitca, and Betsabeé Romero whose thought-provoking works are sure to elicit strong reactions.  Highlights of the collection include a monumental, cubist portrait by Diego Rivera, a densely constructed surrealist collage by Frida Kahlo, a self-portrait as the entombed Christ by Nahum Zenil, and a tower of found shoes encased in acrylic boxes by Sandra Cabriada.

 FEMSA is a pioneer in the field of institutional collections; the collection encompasses an artistic trove of over 1,000 works in a variety of art forms collected over more than 25 years.  FEMSA is committed to promoting an interest in art by sharing its art collection through traveling exhibitions both at home and abroad. Since 1992, FEMSA has also been a major sponsor of the Bienal Monterrey FEMSA, a national art competition. Founded in 1890 in Monterrey, Mexico, FEMSA (Fomento Economico Méxicano S.A. de C. V.) is the largest beverage company in Latin America.

Dr. Helen R. Lucero, Director of Visual Arts, coordinated the selection of works for the Albuquerque venue of this exhibition.  She says, “The FEMSA exhibition will be a unique opportunity for many museum visitors to view the work of these significant Latin American artists for the first time, an opportunity which should not be missed.”

A 98-page catalogue accompanying the exhibition will be available for sale at La Tiendita, the NHCC's museum shop. Educational programs will be scheduled throughout the run of the exhibition in Albuquerque.

The National Hispanic Cultural Center is located at 1701 4th Street SW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102.

Visit their website at : www.nhccnm.org