The Art of Belonging Gallery Exhibition and Panel Discussion

Aspen/Snowmass, CO (October 4, 2023) — Anderson Ranch Arts Center, a premiere destination for art-making and critical dialogue in contemporary arts, is proud to welcome acclaimed visiting artists Ronald Rael and Maria De Los Angeles to campus to participate in and lead multi-faceted programs that celebrate the experiences and artwork of Latinx artists with the local and regional community.
Upcoming programming under this initiative includes: 

Gallery Reception: Materials of Belonging (October 6, 2023, 5:30-6:30PM): Maria De Los Angeles and Ronald Rael present works that have been stitched with disparate methods and perspectives to find connections or divides in social, political, and physical realities. Rael uses unique fabrication approaches in bringing material, software, and hardware experiments together to demonstrate architectural and structural potential. De Los Angeles will be showcasing her ceramic work made at Anderson Ranch during her time as a Visiting Artist. 

Latinx Arts and Education Workshop (October 7, 2023, 10AM-4PM): local teachers and community leaders are invited to take mini-workshops in Ranch studios with Latinx Visiting Artists Maria De Los Angeles and Ronald Rael, and learn how to apply custom-built Latinx Art Curriculum to their own educational spaces. 

Panel Discussion: The Art of Belonging (October 7, 2023, 4-5PM):  Latinx Visiting Artists Maria De Los Angeles and Ronald Rael will be joined by moderator and the director of Protégete at Conservation Colorado, Beatriz Soto to discuss concepts of belonging in their work. Rael addresses the idea of physical and environmental belonging by experimenting with new printing technologies and architectural alternatives to building with earth in the modern era. De Los Angeles draws upon identity and migration through her colorful and layered murals, sculptures, drawing and paintings. Both artists bring a sense of belonging to their work that is influenced by their upbringing and community connections. They will discuss how those relationships and experiences impact their artistic practice.

Anderson Ranch Arts Center is proud to share this continuation of community programs that will strengthen services to the region through Latinx arts and culture offerings. Courtesy of a significant gift generously donated by the J. Christopher and Anne N. Reyes Foundation, the Ranch has the support to develop and execute a multi-faceted, three-year program with the goal of uniting artists and art enthusiasts around a shared interest in Latinx arts and culture.

“The concept behind this multifaceted program is simple – the shared experience of art and art making builds better understanding. Anderson Ranch is a national leader in arts education that attracts talent from around the world. We are excited to feature leading contemporary Latinx artists in the community as they share their work and artmaking practices with local teachers, students, and the wider community.” said Ranch President and CEO Peter Waanders. He continued, “We are excited to host these offerings for our community while at the same time building a model that has real impact. We are honored that the Reyes Foundation chose to work with the Ranch on this initiative. It magnifies the impact of the arts in creating change in the evolution of our programming and continues to build a dynamic and inclusive Ranch community.”

ABOUT ANDERSON RANCH ARTS CENTER

Founded in 1966, Anderson Ranch Arts Center is a premier destination in America for art making and critical dialogue, bringing together aspiring and internationally renowned artists to discuss and further their work in a stimulating environment. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains of Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado, the Ranch hosts extensive workshops for aspiring, emerging, and established artists, children and teenagers in eight disciplines, including Photography & New Media, Ceramics, Painting & Drawing, Furniture Design & Woodworking, Sculpture, Woodturning, Printmaking and Digital Fabrication. The Ranch hosts engaging events throughout the year including the Recognition Dinner, held in honor of Anderson Ranch’s National Artist Award and Service to the Arts Award honorees; the Annual Art Auction & Community Picnic, a thirty-six-year-old tradition which features works of local, national and international artists; and a year-round Artists-in-Residence Program, fostering artistic growth for emerging and established visual artists. For more than 50 years, Anderson Ranch Arts Center has been working to enrich lives with art, inspiration and community. Learn more at www.andersonranch.org or 970/923.3181.

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