The Mexic-Arte Museum is celebrating the quince años of an annual exhibition that helped many young Latinos display their talents for the first time.
The 15th Young Latino Artists: Consensus of Taste exhibit features the works of 15 artists who have matriculated through the Young Latino Artists exhibition, which started in 1996. Sylvia Orozco, the co-founder and executive director of the museum, based the exhibit on Mexico’s El Encuentro Nacional de Arte Joven, a program that features work by artists under the age of 30. The exhibit runs through Aug. 30.
Claudia Zapata, curator of the exhibit and former intern at Mexic-Arte, said the premise of this exhibit was decided last year.
“I went through the work produced in the past 14 years by these artists and selected them based on how they were doing in their careers, their general notoriety, and availability of course,” she said.
The exhibit features work from 15 artists including Jesus Benavente, Candace Briceño, Margarita Cabrera, Bobby Dixon, Santiago Forero, Eduardo Xavier Garcia, Ivete Lucas, Randy Muniz, Cruz Ortiz, Matthew Rodriguez, Carlos Rosales-Silva, Abel Saucedo, Vargas-Suarez Universal, David “Shek” Vega and Jason Villegas.
“We have artists from the first group and some from last year. It varies, but it is a sporadic representation,” Zapata said, noting that though they didn’t get someone from each of the 14 YLA exhibits, the selection of artists turned out for the best.
“It turned out to be a really good mix of media. We have a video installation, street graffiti, sculpture installations – it touches on all bases,” she said. “You can see why the artists have been successful. They shine individually and as a group.”
Randy Muniz, who participated in last year’s YLA exhibit, had a mural titled “Won’t Let You Win” on display. The work was like an oversized charcoal drawing, which was created directly on the museum wall.
“I focus a lot of street art and graffiti,” he said. “It’s young and reckless. You see what you can get away with.”
Muniz said Troy Brauntuch, a fellow artist and University of Texas professor, was an important mentor and one of his most significant influences.
“I’d say he is one of the artists that had a major impact on me,” Muniz said. “He’s the only teacher that made me give a damn.”
The YLA exhibits have given Muniz a chance to show off his development as an artist.
“Art is one of the only things I’m really good at and I want to see where it takes me.”