My curatorial practice focuses on elevating the voices and creative expressions of diasporic communities, creating spaces where art, memory, and cultural heritage come together. Through contemporary fine art, storytelling, and meaningful experiences, I seek to foster dialogue, challenge dominant narratives, and celebrate the richness of our diverse histories. I see curating as a way to build connections, reclaim space, and make visible the stories and perspectives that deserve to be seen, heard, and valued.
WHERE MEMORY BECOMES LAND
CURATOR: PAOLA WARD
SCULPTURE BY: ALEJANDRA ALMUELLE
This exhibition explores (im)migration, land, memory, and lived experience through material and process. Using fiber, clay, textiles, photography, and layered forms, the works trace how stories move across borders, persist through fragmentation, and take shape in new environments. They ask who can move freely, who is forced to move, and who is prevented from moving at all.
Borders are understood here not only as physical lines, but also as systems shaped through language, accessibility, and digital infrastructures. The exhibition considers how these boundaries influence belonging, access, and identity, while also showing how artists challenge and reimagine them. Materials, images, and spatial arrangements carry traces of personal and collective histories, grounding memory in physical form.
Curated by a cohort of four curators as part of a curation fellowship program by Of color in partnership with Austin Public Library .
It approaches the library as a shared public space for encounter, reflection, and exchange.
AUGUST 16-SEPT 13 2026, CENTRAL LIBRARY AUSTIN TEXAS. GALLERY SECOND FLOOR.
Artists: Lys Santamaria, Sandra Fernandez, Rewon Shimray, Rakhee Jain Desai, Raul Rodriguez, Liza Saldivar Salazar, Jo kim, Nashelle Williams