EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — New York’s Baruch College will bring interactive art to El Paso, symbolizing the crossing between the U.S. and Mexico.
“El Paso del Norte” is 13 portraits and digital components created by artist Lizbeth De La Cruz Santana, an assistant professor in Chicanx Studies and Latino Studies from The City University of New York’s Bernard M. Baruch College (Baruch CUNY).
The event will take place on Thursday, May 2.
De La Cruz Santana and a group from nonprofit organizations will be carrying the art across the Paso Del Norte Bridge, march to El Puente Negro in Ciudad Juarez, and install the murals for the public to see, according to the news release by Baruch CUNY.
According to Baruch CUNY, “El Paso del Norte” will feature a digital storytelling aspect, allowing anyone crossing the bridge to tell their stories from their perspectives and with their visuals.
Passers-by can scan a QR code, which links them to various multimedia narratives.
“‘El Paso del Norte’ is not just a mural; it’s a movement – a call for empathy, understanding, and meaningful dialogue. In a world often defined by barriers, this project is a testament to the power of storytelling and art in weaving a conversation focused on deportation through migrant knowledge. With the recent focus on new arrivals, the pernicious deportation crisis has escaped attention, leaving the stories of thousands of childhood arrivals and immigrants with exclusive ties to the U.S. unheard and unknown. Through digital storytelling, we are elevating the voices of those silenced by a system that has operated in the background for too long,” De La Cruz Santana said in a news release.
The art project will also feature 13 portraits painted by students enrolled in Baruch CUNY as part of their community-engaged creative midterm.
“The murals, designed to endure a decade, symbolize the resilience of undocumented individuals facing a 10-year ban on re-entry in the U.S.,” according to Baruch CUNY.
The project was funded by Baruch CUNY’s BLS Department, which provided $150,000, Puro Borde, Skuishi Press, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, The Papagayo Project, and Repatriate our Patriots.
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