Linda Vallejo's American Latinx exhibition is being held at Kean University's Karl and Helen Burger Gallery until Friday, Dec. 14.
American Latinx holds 48 of Vallejo's works from her Make 'em All Mexican and The Brown Dot Project collections. These pieces depict iconic symbols of American pop culture such as Marilyn Monroe, Mickey Mouse and Elvis Presley with tan skin. Vallejo's intention in creating these works was to inspire conversations about race, American history and politics.
"Linda Vallejo's artwork challenges our thinking with a surprising cultural twist," commented Neil Tetkowski, the director of Kean Galleries. "Cultural identity is at the core of her art."
Vallejo was influenced by her travels throughout the United States, Europe and Mexico where she was inspired by the Chicano and Latino indigenous communities and their art work. Her experiences led her to create art surrounding her own Mexican ethnicity as it relates to American pop culture.
Her work has received popular acclaim because of her interesting renditions of pop icons and has been exhibited all across the United States. Vallejo's work also earned a permanent place in many museums such as the East Los Angeles College Vincent Price Museum, The National Museum of Mexican Art, Carnegie Art Museum, University of California, Los Angeles' (UCLA) Chicano Study Research Center, California Multicultural and Ethnic Archives and more.
A reception will also be held in honor of the exhibition Thursday, Oct. 11 at 3:30 p.m. Afterward, The Politics of Color and Class event will take place at the gallery at 5 p.m. This event allows visitors to enjoy a discussion about the art and its significance as they walk through the exhibition.
Admission to the exhibition and reception are both free to the public. The Karl and Helen Burger Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is located on the first floor of the Center for Academic Success (CAS) building.
For more information on the American Latinx exhibition or other exhibitions from any of the Kean Galleries, visit Kean Galleries' Kean webpage. Representatives of Kean Galleries may also be contacted through email at galleries@kean.edu or through phone at (908) 737- 0392.
To learn more about the artist, her work or any of her exhibitions, visit her website at lindavallejo.com.
