Artist
Leila Hernandez
Demostrates her art to school
children.
The
McAllen Chamber of Commerce along with the Rio Grande
Valley Arts Council announced the arrival of Artrain
USA in December. Artrain USA, the nation’s
only traveling art exhibit on train arrived in McAllen
and was located on the corner of Pecan and Bicentennial.
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The
exhibition entitled Native Views: Influences of Modern
Culture was open for school tours Wednesday, Dec.
1 through Friday, Dec. 3. The train was open
to the general public Saturday, Dec. 4 and Sunday,
Dec. 5 from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. During
Artrain USA’s visit, 2,400 people visited the
exhibition. The exhibition explored the ways
Native American artists are influenced by popular
culture and offered mainstream America the opportunity
to look at and consider different insights into contemporary
society. In addition, the exhibition sought
to redefine Native American art by broadening the
limits and stereotypes that currently define it.Native
Views displayed more than 70 contemporary artworks
by 54 living Native American artists. The artwork
depicted individual creativity as well as a clear
continuity with the cultural past of Native America. Through
the variety of media included in the exhibition,
Native American artists examined their rich heritage,
and folded these perspectives into current cultural
images.
Volunteer docents from Memorial High School and from UTPA assisted
during the train’s visit. Visitors toured the galleries,
viewed local volunteer artists demonstrating their skills, and visited
the gift shop. Local demonstrating artists included Kirk Clark, Joe
Taylor, Veronica Sierra, Leila Hernandez, Steven Ortiz, Rick Casas,
and John Haden.
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Local
support for Artrain USA included sponsorship from
Rivera Funeral Home, Rio Valley Switching Inc., Charles
Clark Chevrolet/ Clark Knapp Honda, Total E&P,
Texas Gas Service, Target, Holiday Inn Express & Suites,
Texas Commission on the Arts, and the International
Museum of Art & Science.
 Visitors
view artwork in rail cars. |
