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Art Exhibition: Estésen Cercas
May 15 @ 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
An event every week that begins at 9:00 am on Sunday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, repeating until May 15, 2022
We are proud to present a premier exhibition, Estésen Cercas, by Armando Cortés, this year’s St. Elmo Arts Fellow. Visitors can explore Cortés’ work in the Margaret and Eugene McDermott Learning Center, a restored 19th-century carriage house in the Central Gardens.
This exhibition is free with admission. Admission is always free for members!
Want to meet the artist? Cortés will lead our family-friendly Drop-in & Discover program on April 16. Learn more.
About the Exhibition
A misnomer common in rural parts of Mexico, estésen cercas, is a phrase often uttered by mothers to children at play. It is a call for them to remain nearby. It is a call to remain within the boundary of the home, the cerca, the stacked rock wall. Misinterpreted, it is a command to the rock wall: stay, remain unchanged. The cerca in itself is a symbol. A meeting place and a dividing moment. It is where news is shared and small treasures hide. The cerca denotes ownership. It establishes physical boundaries honored by one’s word but ready to be torn down by lost or unruly cattle.
About the Artist
Armando Cortés was born in Urequio, Michoacán, México, and raised in Wilmington, California. His work — an exploration of memory, myth, history, geography, experience and materiality — is informed by his family history. He is the sixth child among seven siblings, including generations of farmers, migrants, manufacturers, office professionals, professors and artists, among other professions. Cortés earned his undergraduate degree at UCLA in 2012 and his Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from Yale School of Art in 2021. His work ranges from small object making to installation and performance.
