'Where the Saint Lives'

Where the Saint Lives examines works produced in the Southwestern United States and Mexico spanning from the 1800’s to the early 2000’s that make visible the link between cultural identity and spirituality. The exhibition takes its title from the combined Nahuatl and Spanish word santocalli, which translates to “the saint’s house,” a historical structure found throughout the region used for cross-cultural religious practices. These spaces were home to santos – images of saints that were considered to not just be objects, but beings that were alive–and were sites for both Indigenous and Christian altars, rituals, and prayers.

Using the concept of “home” as a framework, Where the Saint Lives investigates Southwestern identity through the imagery of Nuestra Señora, or Our Lady – the mother of Jesus Christ who has many titles including Our Lady of Guadalupe, who, through her imagery and story, can additionally be interpreted as Tonantzin Coatlaxopeuh, a Nahua goddess. Where the Saint Lives explores the combined Indigenous and Catholic iconography and references found in art produced in the Southwest, and the contemporary interpretations of these intersections. This exhibition asks what it means to be from and inhabit a space that is simultaneously young and old, a place that is emblematic of resilience amongst violence, and wove together by varied cultural ties and perspectives.