Camryn Muuss
Staff Writer
The dA Center for the Arts in Pomona is hosting the “Sí Se Puede” exhibition through Nov. 14, bringing together artists from the Latinx Chicanx communities to explore heritage, cultural identity and personal experiences through their art.
The exhibition features a variety of artists and artworks that show multiple perspectives, using different visual styles to represent their backgrounds and experiences. The collection highlights diversity within the Latinx Chicanx community while also showing connections between artists and their heritage.
Maritza Torres, one of the artists featured in the exhibition, said that different perspectives are an important part of what makes this show meaningful.
“This exhibition is beautiful because Latinx Chicanx can vary in so many ways, even with our similarities,” Torres said.
Torres submitted three pieces to the exhibition that she felt worked well together. Her artwork is influenced by nature, anime, local artists and references to Indigenous culture. She also said being a woman in art has influenced how she thinks about representation and hopes her work can inspire other women and younger people.
“Sí Se Puede” translates to “yes, we can.” This is more than just a phrase to the artists involved in this exhibition. The center uses the phrase to represent the ability to take up space and express identity to the larger art community.
The exhibition brings together artists with different backgrounds and experiences while showing the similarities that connect their work.
Melora Garcia, another artist featured in the exhibition, connected her artwork to her family history and cultural background. Garcia discussed how her parents left their home in Mexico and came to the United States to create better opportunities for their children.
Garcia’s work includes pieces inspired by her grandmother and their family’s roots back in Mexico. She said creating art gives her a way to express personal experiences while also allowing other people to connect with the work.
“I make work for myself, and I hope that other people connect to it,” Garcia said.
She said that being surrounded by other Latinx artists at the exhibition created a sense of community and allowed artists to have their work seen by people who can resonate with shared experiences.
Artist Mayra Zambrano, a student and freelance artist, connected her artwork to her emotions and the people around her. One of the things Zambrano’s work reflects is her process of working through difficult emotions.
“I would say my emotions are what have driven my art,” Zambrano said. “But I think the community has too.”
Zambrano talked about a collaborative neon art piece she created with her teacher and mentor, Letitia Maldonado. The project included six pieces, with three created by Zambrano and three by Maldonado. The collaboration connected Zambrano’s experience as a student with her development as an artist.
Martin Peres, an employee at the dA Center for the Arts and facilities manager, said he has seen the center develop significantly since he first started working there.
Peres said that art can give people an outlet to express themselves and that Latinx art can be viewed differently depending on the community.
“I guess just don’t stop voicing your opinion,” Peres said. “Don’t let people just shut you up.”
Each artist contributes their own background, emotions and understanding of culture to the collection. “Si Se Puede” allows members of the Latinx Chicanx community to share their backgrounds, individual hardships and successes. The exhibition highlights connections to Indigenous roots and the ways traditions continue to influence artists and communities today.
The dA Center, at 252 S. Main St. in Pomona, is open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
For more information visit, dacenter.org.
Camryn Muuss can be reached at camryn.muuss@laverne.edu.
Camryn Muuss is a junior communications major with a concentration in public relations, and a staff writer for the Campus Times.
