The DePaul Art Museum reopened on Friday, May 14, with two exhibitions on display: “LatinXAmerican” and “Quetzalli” by artist Claudia Peña Salinas.
Laura-Caroline de Lara, Interim Director of the DePaul Art Museum said this collection seeks to address a problem the DePaul Art Museum, or DPAM, saw in Latinx representation.
“There was just a significant lack of both exhibitions and permanent collections of Latinx and Latin American artists represented,” said de Lara.
While Latinx students make up around 16 percent of DePaul’s enrollment and 30 percent of Chicago’s population as a whole, Latinx representation in art museums often hovers closer to 2 or 3 percent.
The “LatinXAmerican” exhibit not only showcases the works of different Latinx artists but also allows for a better, more genuine viewing experience for Latinx patrons of the museum, in part due to the bilingual art descriptions, said Joah Rosing, a DePaul sophomore and DPAM employee.
“Multiple languages bring multiple different narratives, regardless of what the words mean, and someone might get something totally different out of the Spanish section than someone would get out of the English section,” he said.
Rosing said accessibility is important in art.
“Making something more accessible to more of the population is essential in maintaining a healthy museum, where people understand what the meaning is behind the art,” said Rosing.
The collection includes Latinx artists from all over the country, including Puerto Rico, although many are Chicago-based.
“We wanted to think outside the box and begin to understand the complexities of what it means to be Latinx living in the United States and living in between cultures,” said de Lara.
This exhibition is part of an overall effort by the museum to encourage Latinx representation and participation in museums and museum programming and, according to the DPAM website, it is a “multi-year research inquiry focused on artists of Latinx heritage living and working in the United States.”
The “LatinXAmerican” art exhibition will take up the entire two-story museum, and “Quetzalli” will remain in the museum’s front window until August 15.
Although the museum remains free and open to the public, it will require reservations to allow for social distancing measures. The museum will be open Friday – Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will maintain some virtual exhibitions and events as well. To make a reservation, visit the DPAM website or https://www.exploretock.com/depaulartmuseum.
Audio package edited by Damita Menezes.