Opening of Miracles of Mexican Folk Art: Retablos and Ex-votos on April 7, 2016

By: Rachel Gunlogson For the opening of Miracles of Mexican Folk Art: Retablos and Ex-votos, the turn out was great, in my opinion. We had approximately 100 people visit throughout the evening. Before the greetings, the exhibit was packed with people examining the retablos and ex-votos and conversing with each other, in both English and Spanish. This exhibit is completely bi-lingual and to see many individuals from the Spanish community visit was wonderful. A Mariachi Band, consisting of Central students, played throughout the evening. Something I noticed, while taking pictures, was that when they were playing the mood in the room seemed to change. Language is a barrier that can cause people to feel uncomfortable. Even though English speaking people may not have understood the lyrics, music seems to transcend barriers and borders. I noticed almost everyone was engaged in listening to the music and had smiles on their faces. From what I heard, the alter within the exhibit was a huge success, along with the activity to draw a miracle that happened in your life and hang it on the wall. I noticed kids gladly taking part in this activity, but I also saw older individuals take interest as well. It is encouraging to see people interested in an exhibit enough to not only show up to the opening, but to also take part in an activity willingly and in this case, with enthusiasm.