Cross-Continental

The Museo de las Américas, already dedicated to a pan-cultural view of the New World, figures importantly in the unfolding Biennial of the Americas, which kicks off in a week with events and art exhibits throughout the city. So, for Liberadores/Liberators, a new show opening today at the Museo in...

By Susan Froyd

September 16, 2010

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The Museo de las Américas, already dedicated to a pan-cultural view of the New World, figures importantly in the unfolding Biennial of the Americas, which kicks off in a week with events and art exhibits throughout the city. So, for Liberadores/Liberators, a new show opening today at the Museo in partnership with the Biennial, museum director Maruca Salazar sent out a call for entries aimed at combing the Americas — from the northern reaches of Canada to Tierra del Fuego in the south — for works that specifically interpret the liberation narrative from myriad cultural perspectives. A crew of local jurors pared the enthusiastic response down to nine representative artists, several of them representing countries celebrating their own bicentennials in 2010.

“The idea or sense of liberation appears in every country, throughout history,” Salazar says. “These artists were selected because of the way they approach the idea of liberation — how their work represents their country or their political situation or their geography.” To that end, Miami artist Xavier Cortada represents his home country of Cuba; Argentina gets a nod from Ana Maria Hernando, Liliana Folta and Brooklyn-based Seth Wulsin; New Mexican Cliff Fragua relates his Native American experience; Oscar Muñoz and Paula Winograd represent Colombia; Fernando Sanchez speaks for Mexico; and Denverite Daniel Salazar covers the Chicano movement of the American Southwest.

Liberadores opens with a reception from 7 to 10 p.m. (a members-only preview precedes at 6) at the Museo, 861 Santa Fe Drive; admission is $4. Related events in July include concerts, online cross-continental conversations, performances and more. For information, go to www.museo.org or call 303-571-4401.
June 24-Sept. 26, 2010

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Susan Froyd started writing for Westword as the "Thrills" editor in 1992 and never quite left the fold. These days she still freelances for the paper in addition to walking her dogs, enjoying cheap ethnic food and reading voraciously. Sometimes she writes poetry.

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