“Vale la Pena” Opens at the Branigan Cultural Center
Join us for a new exhibit at the Branigan Cultural Center, Vale la Pena (It’s Worth It)featuring artwork by Gina Gwen Palacios, a multi-media artist who draws upon her family history and Mexican American identity to create portraits of her and her family’s lived experiences. The exhibition opens January 14, 2023 and closes on March 25.

Gina Gwen Palacios uses traditional and non-traditional materials in her art, including cardboard, cotton, sandpaper, and paint. Her use of materials is purposeful, choosing colors and materials that emphasize the long cultural heritage she and her family have had in the south Texas/Mexico borderland. Her parents’ stories about migrant farm work, picking cotton, and racial discrimination are reflected in Palacios’ use of cardboard and cotton. She uses cardboard because of its brown color, availability, and strength. However, it is also cheap and disposable; in using it Palacios makes it symbolic of the Mexican American labor force and the disposable treatment many workers receive from their employers. Palacios makes powerful statements through her artwork in order to highlight an underrepresented cultural narrative and geographic area.

Gina Gwen Palacios is currently an Assistant Professor of Painting/Drawing and the Associate Director for the School of Art & Design at The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley. She earned an MFA in Painting from the Rhode Island School of Design, a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Studio Art at Brandeis University, an MA from The University of Texas at Austin in Instructional Technology, a BA from Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi in TV/Film and an AA from Del Mar College in Radio/Television. She was born in Taft, Texas.

The museum is located at 501 N. Main St. and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 4:30pm and Saturday 9am to 4:30pm. There is no admission charge. The museum is accessible from RoadRUNNER Transit Route 1 Stop 1. For additional information, visit the website at https://www.lascruces.gov/museums or call (575)541-2154.