New Mexico artists from all different walks of life will have a rare opportunity for their artwork to land on public billboards across Albuquerque.
Digging deep into the heart of social justice issues, the public art exhibition is called the “Soul of a Nation”––curated by New Mexico artist Jodie Herrera.
“The reason why I started to curate in the first place was because certain galleries and institutions were inaccessible,” Herrera said.
She says that traditional studio spaces often fail to prioritize BIPOC women and non-binary people who channel themes of equity, liberation, and justice in their work.
“And so, instead of trying to ask and beg for a seat at their table, I just made my own table,” Herrera said.
Herrera has made it a life-long goal to uplift artists from often marginalized communities. She says this was the perfect opportunity to move artwork into a space where no barriers exist to see and enjoy it.
The exhibition is a collaboration with non-profit SaveArtSpace, who has installed public artwork on advertisement space in over 35 U.S. cities and across the pond in London.
Artists of all ages who speak to issues of social justice and intersectional feminism can submit up to 10 pieces. There’s a $10 tax deductible donation per submission that goes to producing the public art. Then, selected works will be placed in ad spaces across Albuquerque’s metro in October.
The deadline for submissions is September 6, 2022. The winners will be announced later that month.
