The McAllen International Museum is proud to recognize the work of serious artists from the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Reynosa, Mexico in a special exhibit entitled Arte Rio Grande which begins January 13. This community-based exhibition includes two and three-dimensional work and demonstrates the depth of the region's rich artistic talent. More than fifty artists were invited to participate in this show of recent art that ranges from paper and paintings to sculpture and jewelry. Some of these remarkable artists, all of whom live in the Valley and northern Mexico, explore abstractions, while others find expression in realism or surrealism.

Curator for this exhibit is Maria Elena Macias, an artist who is pursuing her Master of Fine Art degree at the University of Texas Pan American. She was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and has lived in McAllen for the last seventeen years. Ms. Macias works with both two and three-dimensional art, and she has participated in exhibitions in the United States, Mexico and Europe.

Arte Rio Grande has been a tradition at the McAllen International Museum for many years. The Museum is committed to providing a venue for important local artists to display their work, since opportunities for artists to exhibit new work are few in the Lower Rio Grande region. John Mueller, Executive Director of the Museum, was among the first to recognize this critical need and was a principal architect in establishing this continuing series. "Exhibition of the work of regional artists is among the most important missions of any museum," Mueller said. "It encourages artistic creation and allows us to rejoice in the astounding artistic talent that abounds in our region. This year's exhibition is nothing short of a revelation. No area of the country can boast talent richer or more diverse.
We are proud to continue to be a part of it."

Arte Rio Grande will be at the McAllen International Museum through April 15, 2001.