>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO CHICAGO TONIGHT: LATINO VOICES .

A COMMUNITY SHELTER FOR MIGRANTS HAS CLOSE ITS DOORS, HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO GET HUNDREDS OF NEW ARRIVALS A FIRST HOME IN CHICAGO.

>>> SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION IS LOOKING TO HELP LATINOS FUND THEIR EDUCATION.

A LOCAL DACA WITH THE MIGRANT RECIPIENTS IN HER BOOK.

>> IF THEY DID KNOW ABOUT IT, HOW DO THEY LOVE IT ?

>> AND A RARE SHOW OF PAINTINGS BY AN ARTIST IN THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO.

ALL THAT COMING UP BUT FIRST OUR TOP STORY, LOCAL VOLUNTEERS AND THE INCOMING MIGRANTS RIGHT AFTER THIS .

>> CHICAGO TONIGHT: LATINO VOICES IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY THE SUPPORT OF THESE DONORS.

>> GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE SCRAMBLED TO SUPPORT THOUSANDS OF MIGRANTS WHO HAVE COME TO CHICAGO.

A YEAR LATER, RESOURCES ARE STRAINED AND FEW SYSTEMS ARE IN PLACE.

A COMMUNITY TRYING TO ASSIST MIGRANTS ROSE IN A WAREHOUSE .

ORGANIZERS SAY THEY HAVE POSTED 260 RESIDENTS AND HAVE FOUND PERMANENT HOUSING FOR MORE THAN 150 OF THEM.

THE SHELTER STOPPED OPERATIONS THIS WEEKEND.

JOINING US ARE TWO VOLUNTEERS FROM THE EFFORT, AND WE WELCOME YOU BOTH TO THE SHOW.

WHY DID THE SHELTER CLOSE ?

IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE BEING SUCCESSFUL.

>> WE WORKED BUT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF REASONS, THE INSURANCE ON THE BUILDING WHICH WAS HELD BY THE DONOR OF THE WAREHOUSE HAD LAPSED.

WE FELT IT WOULD NO LONGER BE SAFE TO HOST PEOPLE IN THE SHELTER.

AND MANY OF OUR AMAZING VOLUNTEERS OR EDUCATORS OR EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATORS AND THEY WENT BACK TO SCHOOL.

WE LOST A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING MYSELF.

THIRD , WE FOUGHT REALLY HARD TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED AS A COMMUNITY SHELTER WITH THE CITY OF CHICAGO BUT COULD NOT GET IN WITHIN THE INFRASTRUCTURE.

>> NOT BEING UNAFFILIATED RESOURCE, WHAT DID THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH ASSISTANCE YOU COULD GIVE THE PEOPLE AT YOUR FACILITY ?

>> IT IS A SCARCITY.

WE DON'T HAVE THE STREAM OF MONEY, WE CANNOT MAINTAIN SAFETY.

WE CANNOT MAINTAIN OR SUPPORT PEOPLE TO GET THEIR OWN HOUSE.

THE CITY SHELTERS PROVIDE SIX MONTHS OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE, WE HAVE A WELCOMING CENTER FOR TWO OF THEM HELPING WITH $800 ONE-TIME EMERGENCY MONEY.

>> A VOLUNTEER EFFORT IS HAVING COMPARABLE RESOURCES TO THE CITY, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE VOLUNTEERS AND COMMUNITY HELP.

GIVE ME AN IDEA OF WHAT A TYPICAL DAY WAS LIKE AT WHAT WAS A WAREHOUSE AND WHAT BECAME HOME TO HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ?

>> I WOULD GO IN MULTIPLE TIMES DURING THE WEEK DURING THE SUMMER , WE SHARED TIME WITH CHILDREN AND MADE SURE PEOPLE WERE FED, HAD THREE MEALS A DAY , I DID THE LUNCH SHIFT AND MADE SURE EVERYBODY HAD A FUNCTIONING AIR MATTRESS, ESPECIALLY FOR PREGNANT WOMEN.

WE HELPED WITH EVERYDAY NEEDS , MAKING SURE PEOPLE HAVE HYGIENE PRODUCTS , TOILET PAPER .

ALSO , HELPING WITH THE SERVICE FOR THE SPANISH-SPEAKING VOLUNTEERS WHO WERE ON SITE.

TALKING ABOUT JOBS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, APARTMENT LISTINGS , ANYTHING THEY NEEDED .

>> ONE OF THE THINGS -- ONE OF THE PARTIES WAS KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE AND THE BIGGEST EXPENSE WAS SECURITY .

WHY WAS THAT ?

>> BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE ALL VOLUNTEERS.

AT FIRST, WE HAD COMMUNITY OUTREACH VOLUNTEERING.

WE HAD A SCARCITY OF FUNDS , SO WE HAD TO PRIORITIZE THE NIGHT SHIFT, THERE IS A STRAIN ON YOUR BODY, YOUR EMOTIONS , AND WE FELT LIKE, TAKE SOME OF THE DONATIONS AND GIVE SOME INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO BE THERE ALL NIGHT AND KEEP PEOPLE SAFE.

THAT IS THE ONLY SHIFT WE COULD FUND.

>> THERE WERE ISSUES WITH THEFT , FIGHTING.

SOME RESIDENTS VOTED TO KICK SOME PEOPLE OUT.

WHY COULDN'T YOU?

>> SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE.

THEY WERE ENGAGED IN VIOLENT ACTIONS.

THERE WERE NOT MANY.

THERE WAS ONE FIGHT.

WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE KEEPING EVERYBODY SAFE.

ACCORDING TO OUR SAFETY TEAM WORKING IN THE OTHER SHELTER, IN COMPARISON , IT WAS BETTER.

THERE WERE ISSUES, IT WAS SOMETHING WE COULD NOT SUSTAIN OVER TIME BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES.

>> WHAT HELP DID YOU GET FROM THE CITY ?

ANYTHING ?

>> THE OFFICE OF THE ALDERMAN, WE HAD ACCESS TO SOME OF HIS STAFF MEMBERS ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS.

THEY WERE ASSISTING US WITH DONATIONS , WHETHER MATERIAL OR CASH, GETTING US CONNECTED WITH THE WAREHOUSE IN THE FIRST PLACE AND THE DONOR OF THE BUILDING.

I BELIEVE HE WAS A PART OF THAT NEGOTIATION AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER MONTHS.

>> WHEN PEOPLE WOULD ASK YOU WHAT YOU WERE DOING THIS , WHAT DID YOU SAY?

>> THE SAME FOR US, WE ARE FROM IMMIGRANT PARENTS.

OUR FAMILIES HAVE DOCUMENTED OR UNDOCUMENTED STATUS.

FOR US , THIS IS OUR LEGACY .

THIS IS OUR FUTURE.

THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN BUILT AND EVOLVED AROUND IMMIGRANTS.

LONGEVITY AND SUSTAINABILITY.

WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR MIGRANTS HAVE SELF-DETERMINATIO N. >> LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE, FROM YOUR UNDERSTANDING , HOW MANY MIGRANTS CONTINUE TO LIVE IN POLICE STATIONS IN THE AIRPORT ?

WHAT ARE YOU HEARING ?

>> I BELIEVE THE NUMBERS ARE IN THE THOUSANDS IN THE POLICE STATION , PEOPLE PRETTY MUCH COMING IN DAILY.

>> 200 IS THE AVERAGE.

WHEN THEY DECOMPRESS A STATION , WE GET ANOTHER BUS.

>> HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE COME IN THE PAST YEAR?

>> ABOUT 13,500 NEWCOMERS AND THE NUMBER IS RISING.

>> MOST FROM WHAT STATES ?

>> VENEZUELA.

>> TEXAS AND FLORIDA.

>> TEXAS MOSTLY.

>> THE JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION, HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS THEY ARE DOING IN DEALING WITH THE INFLUX OF PEOPLE ?

>> THEY ARE A NEW ADMINISTRATION AND HAVE HAD TO ACT QUICKLY THEY HAVE OPENED SHELTERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

THE MORE THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER , THE MORE EFFECTIVE THE POLICY WILL BE.

I HOPE THEY LOOK AT INTERNATIONAL EXPERTISE FROM ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE UNHCR, UN HIGH COMMISSION ON REFUGEES, IT IS NOT THAT WE HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL, WE HAVE TO LEARN BEST PRACTICES.

>> MOST PEOPLE MAY SEE IMAGES OF MIGRANTS AND MIGRANT FAMILIES, THEY THINK OF THEM AS A GROUP, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS?

>> GOODNESS .

HOW MANY ARE THERE?

ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND IS WE HAVE LAWYERS, DOCTORS , PEOPLE WHO TAKE CARE OF CHILDREN, MAINTENANCE PEOPLE , THEY ARE ALL OF EQUAL VALUE.

BECAUSE THEY ARE LOOKED AT IN THIS HOMOGENOUS WAY, IN A NEGATIVE WAY , IN TERMS OF CHARITY, OR PITY, THAT IS CREATING SOMETHING WE DON'T WANT IN THE LONG RUN.

WE THINK ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF DIGNITY.

I WAS MOVING IN THE CAR , WE WERE TAKING SOMEBODY TO A TEMPORARY SHELTER , I AM SORRY, TEMPORARY HOUSING WHILE WAITING FOR HER PERMANENT HOUSING, SHE TOLD ME SHE CROSSED THE JUNGLE AND THOUGHT ABOUT THE CHILDREN ON THE JOURNEY WHO HAD TO LEARN HOW TO SURVIVE IN THE JUNGLE.

THEY USED THE WASHROOM IN THE JUNGLE.

IT IS A DIFFERENT WAY OF SURVIVING.

AT THE SHELTER , YOU NEEDED TO LEARN THOSE THINGS.

>> YOU HAVE MOVED 150 PEOPLE INTO PERMANENT HOUSING.

I'VE WISH WE COULD EXPORT HOW YOU HAVE DONE THAT.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

>>> UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PROFESSOR SAYS HE HIT A FEW BUMPS ON HIS PATH TO A CAREER IN SCIENCE AND ACADEMIA.

BUT HE SAYS MENTORSHIP WAS THE CATALYST FOR HIS SUCCESS AND HE IS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO BRING MORE LATINOS IN THE LABORATORY.

WE HAVE THAT STORY.

>> THE WORK WE DO, I AM INTERESTED IN HOW THINGS INTERACT ON A MOLECULAR LEVEL.

>> Reporter: AT THE SCHOOL OF MOLECULAR ENGINEERING, THIS PROFESSOR , PROTEIN ENGINEER , JUAN MENDOZA RESEARCHES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM TO ENGINEER CANCER TREATMENT .

IT IS WORK HE CAME TO LATER IN LIFE.

IT IS IN A FIELD HE SAYS IMMIGRANT PARENTS COULD NOT IMAGINE FOR THEIR SON AS THEY RAISED HIM IN CALIFORNIA.

>> I NEVER KNEW SCIENCE COULD BE A CAREER BECAUSE MY PARENTS WERE FROM A SMALL FARMING TOWN.

IT WAS NOT A PATHWAY WE COULD MAKE POSSIBLE.

>> Reporter: HE STARTED OUT STUDYING BIOCHEMISTRY AT SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY.

HE WENT TO A CAREER IN I.T.

BEFORE FINISHING HIS DEGREE.

HE RETURNED TO A CAREER IN SCIENCE WHERE HE SAID SUPPORT VIA MENTORSHIP ALLOW HIM TO REACH HIS POTENTIAL.

>> I REMEMBER WORKING AS A KID THROUGH COLLEGE TO FOCUS ON MY ACADEMICS.

I WASN'T THE STRONGEST STUDENT.

AFTER COMING BACK, MY BACHELORS DEGREE , I GOT INTRODUCED TO A FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM THAT ALLOWED ME TO DO RESEARCH AND IT PAID ME A SALARY SO I COULD FOCUS ON THE RESEARCH AND STUDIES.

THAT MADE THE WORLD OF DIFFERENCE.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, I WAS APPLYING TO GRADUATE SCHOOLS.

I WANT -- WENT TO ONE OF THE TOP GRADUATE PROGRAMS AT DALLAS, TEXAS .

REPORTED HE WAS NAMED A SCHOLAR BY THE MEDICAL INSTITUTE WHICH FUNDS EFFORTS TO BRING MORE SCIENTISTS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS TO SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS.

HE SAYS HE GOT RIGHT TO WORK.

>> I PUT OUT AN ADVERTISEMENT ON FACEBOOK AND SAID, I AM HIRING PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING IN SCIENCE.

>> Reporter: THIS GRADUATE HAS BEEN WORKING IN HIS LAB FOR THE LAST YEAR .

>> I HAVE WORKED ONE-ON-ONE , RESEARCH PROJECTS RELATED TO PROTEIN , MY PLAN IS TO PURSUE A CAREER IN MEDICINE.

INITIALLY , MY FIRST JOB OUT OF COLLEGE WAS IN A CLINICAL HEALTHCARE SETTING, AFTER BEING OFFERED THE POSITION HERE, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TWO.

MY BOSS WAS REALLY UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORTIVE OF MY PLAN TO HAVE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE .

I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED HAVING SOMEONE WITH THE SAME BACKGROUND AS I DO , GUIDING ME PROFESSIONALLY.

I THINK HE REALLY HAS TAUGHT ME THAT THE SKY IS THE LIMIT.

>> Reporter: HE SAYS EVERY INSTITUTION SHOULD LOOK FOR WAYS TO CONNECT WITH ASPIRING SCIENTISTS.

>> YOU HAVE TO ALWAYS BE OUT THERE AND LET THEM KNOW IT IS A POSSIBILITY.

IF THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT , HOW DO THEY KNOW THEY WOULD LOVE IT?

EVER SINCE GETTING MY FIRST CHANCE TO WORK IN A LABORATORY , I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH THE WORK I DO.

>> HE WILL BE AMONG THE FACULTY AND STUDENTS ON HAND AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SCIENCE FESTIVAL ON SATURDAY , SEPTEMBER 30th >>> IT OFFERS SITE ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES AND YOU CAN FIND MORE DETAILS ON OUR WEBSITE.

BACK WITH MORE RIGHT AFTER THIS.

>> COVERAGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ON CHICAGO TONIGHT IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY JOEL FRIEDMAN .

>> IN THE POLITICS SURROUNDING MIGRATIONS INTO THE UNITED STATES, THE JOURNEY IS OFTEN IN QUESTION.

BUT CHILDREN OF MIGRANTS TYPICALLY HAVE NO SAY.

OUR NEXT GUEST SAYS THOSE PEOPLE MATTER.

SHE DESCRIBES THE MIGRANT JOURNEY THROUGH HER OWN EYES.

AS A CHILD COMING TO HER NEW HOME.

SHE JOINS US NOW.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

DESCRIBE THE STORY THE BOOK TELLS.

>> IT IS MY STORY OF CROSSING THE BORDER FROM MEXICO TO GET TO CHICAGO.

>> HALLOWEEN NIGHT , ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT, YOU WERE DRESSED AS A PRINCESS.

WHY DID YOUR MOTHER DRESS YOU AS A PRINCESS?

>> I AM VERY FAIR SKINNED.

MY SISTER AS WELL.

WE WERE ADVISED , WE HAD NEVER CELEBRATED HALLOWEEN IN MEXICO , WE CELEBRATE THE DAY OF THE DEAD.

SHE WAS TOLD , IF WE GET PULLED OVER, YOU ARE THE NANNY AND TAKING THEM TO A HALLOWEEN PARTY.

IT HAPPENED, WE WERE PULLED OVER BUT WE HAD OUR HALLOWEEN COSTUMES AND NO ONE SAID A WORD.

>> THAT IS A VERY INTERESTING FAMILY DYNAMIC.

YOU AND YOUR SISTER ARE VERY FAIR COMPLECTED.

BLUE EYES AND BLOND HAIR.

YOUR MOTHER PRETENDED SHE WAS A NANNY.

>> MY MOTHER IS NOT AS FAIR SKINNED.

I THINK THAT IT GOES TO SHOW, ON THE SPECTRUM OF UNDOCUMENTED, WE DO NOT LOOK THE SAME.

THERE IS SO MUCH RANGE.

>> WHY DID YOU WRITE THE BOOK?

>> FIRST , I WROTE THE BOOK BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING TO GET SOMETHING TO MY MOTHER , HER STORY, THOSE STORIES ABOUT THIS WAS WRITTEN NOT BY US BUT I HAD THE IDEA TO TELL OUR STORY.

WHEN SHE TOLD ME THE REALITY OF CROSSING THE BORDER, HER VERSION WAS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.

I REMEMBERED THIS MAGICAL JOURNEY , GETTING DRESSED UP LIKE A PRINCESS TO ARRIVE IN CHICAGO.

LANDING IN AN AIRPLANE.

SEEING MY FATHER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A YEAR OR TWO AT THAT POINT.

IT WAS MAGICAL TO ME , SHE WAS CROSSING THE BORDER WITH THREE CHILDREN , BEING LED BY 18-YEAR-OLD.

HOPING FOR THE BEST.

A FIVE HOUR JOURNEY, LANDING IN THE BACKYARD , HOPING FOR THE MERCY OF OUR COMMUNITY.

OVER TIME , WE MET UP WITH MY FATHER AGAIN.

>> YOU SAY THE STORY IS ABOUT CHILDREN , WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR CHILDREN TO KNOW YOUR STORY?

>> SO MANY NARRATIVES ARE OUT THERE.

ONE, CHILDREN NEED TO BE TOLD ABOUT THE STORY SO THEY CAN SEE THEMSELVES IN A POSITIVE LIGHT.

THAT IS NOT THE END OF IT.

NOT HAVING CITIZENSHIP DOES NOT MEAN FULL STOP.

YOU CAN PUSH FORWARD.

WHETHER YOU THINK YOU CAN OR YOU CANNOT -- >> THIS BEGINS WITH YOUR JOURNEY IN MEXICO, HERE YOU ARE WITH YOUR MOTHER.

I TAKE IT YOU ARE HOLDING HER FATHER'S HAND ?

>> THAT IS RIGHT.

>> THE ILLUSTRATOR IS UNDOCUMENTED.

>> SHE IS FROM MEXICO CITY.

SHE LIVES IN PUEBLO, SHE HAS TRAVELED TO CHICAGO BUT NOW IS BACK IN MEXICO.

WHEN I WAS LOOKING FOR AN ILLUSTRATOR, IMPORTANT IT WAS A WOMAN AND WHO KNEW THE STORY, SHE ABSOLUTELY DID.

>> THIS IS AIMED FOR CHILDREN , LOOKING AT THE PICTURE, WHAT YOU WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS?

>> UNDERSTAND THE INNOCENCE OF CHILDREN FOLLOWING THE FAMILY.

ASIDE FROM THE PART -- WHETHER IT IS A GOOD CHOICE OR A BAD CHOICE, YOU ARE FOLLOWING YOUR HEART, FOLLOWING HER PARENTS, YOU DON'T KNOW BETTER , IT IS IMPORTANT TO HUMANIZE THESE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.

>> MARGARITA , THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THE BOOK IS CALLED HOMECOMING , THE JOURNEY TO MY HOME.

FIND MORE ON OUR WEBSITE.

>> AFTER THIS PHOTOGRAPHER TRAGICALLY LOST HIS 12-YEAR-OLD SON , HE SOUGHT TO TURN HIS PAIN INTO PURPOSE AND HE HAS SUPPORTERS WHO FOUNDED THE SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION.

IN A SEPTEMBER 24th OF IT AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM , HE WILL PRESENT SEVERAL COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS TO HELP ASPIRING LATINO ARTISTS PAY FOR THEIR EDUCATION.

>> ON SEPTEMBER 24th , WE ARE GOING TO AWARD SCHOLARSHIPS.

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A FUNDRAISER.

LOOKING FOR LATINO STUDENTS.

I AM HOPING THAT IT HELPS FULFILL THEIR DREAMS.

STARTING WITH ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY, WANTING TO EXTEND IT TO ANY COLLEGE STUDENT WHO WANT TO APPLY.

VERY MANY YEARS AGO , PEOPLE WHO CAME FROM MEXICO , IT WAS TOUGH.

SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER, WE MANAGED TO GET FOOD IN THE HOUSE.

AS I GOT OLDER, THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO DO.

MY SON CAME ALONG AND HE LEARNED WHAT I WANTED TO DO AND HE WANTED TO DO THE SAME THING.

THAT IS WHY THE SCHOLARSHIP IS IN HIS HONOR.

>> THERE IS STILL TIME TO APPLY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIPS , APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 18th .

FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE.

>>> STRANGE PEOPLE OCCUPYING FANTASTIC PLACES IS A NEW EXHIBITION OF ART BY A SURREALIST PAINTER.

THEY WERE MADE BY AN ARTIST WELL KNOWN IN MEXICO AND HER WORK IS RARELY SEEN IN THIS COUNTRY.

OUR PRODUCER VISITED THE ART INSTITUTE TO LOOK AT THE MYSTERIOUS WORLDS CREATED BY HER.

?

>> MANY OF THE PAINTINGS EXPRESSED SPIRITUAL OR PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION, IMAGES OF DREAMS AND MAGIC.

>> THERE IS INTEREST IN OCCULT PRACTICES, MAGIC, SHE MOVES HER WORK INTO A VERY UNIQUE SPACE THAT IS ENTIRELY HER OWN AND VERY TEXTUAL AND HAS REFERENCE TO MECHANICAL DRAWINGS AND DEVOTIONAL ART.

ALSO TO ASTRONOMY .

>> THERE IS SCIENCE AND MATH , SCIENCE FICTION , LITERATURE.

IT WAS A VERY COMPLEX AND CURIOUS MOVEMENT.

>> SHE IS A SPANISH BORN PAINTER WHO SETTLED IN MEXICO CITY AFTER WORLD WAR II.

IT IS CALLED SCIENCE FICTION'S , COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO AND THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART IN MEXICO.

WE SPOKE WITH THE CURATOR FROM HER HOME IN MEXICO CITY.

>> SHE IS PAINTING IN THE MID-1950S SOMETHING THAT LOOKS COMPLETELY OUT OF HER TIME.

HER PAINTINGS ARE LIKE A WHOLE NEW UNIVERSE.

♪ >> SHE FLORIST IN MEXICO AT A TIME WITH EXPATRIATE MEN AND WOMEN WERE WELCOMED BY LOCAL ARTISTS.

>> A UNIQUE TIME WHEN WOMEN HAD AS MUCH VOICE AS THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS.

SHE IS INTERESTED IN THE EFFICACY OF ART.

COMING UP WITH NEW WAYS THAT SHOWS HOW SOMEONE WITH A CREATIVE IMAGINATION COULD AFFECT SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES .

>> CONCERNED ABOUT THE PLANET AND THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY AND THINKING ABOUT FEMALE LEAD IN QUALITY.

>> THERE HAS NOT BEEN A MAJOR MUSEUM EXHIBITION OF HER WORK SINCE 2000 AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE IT HERE.

HER NOTEBOOKS, MANY DRAWINGS SHE MADE , HER PERSONAL LIBRARY, SHE WROTE DOWN SPELLS AND RECIPES.

>> YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND A LONG TIME IN FRONT OF THIS PAINTING.

THEY HAVE MISTRY IN THE STORY AND THE WAY THEY WERE MADE.

IT REALLY CATCHES YOUR EYE.

>> IT ENTICES YOU TO LOOK VERY CLOSELY.

>> SHE DIED SUDDENLY IN 1963 AT THE AGE OF 55.

THE NEW EXHIBITION IS CALLED SCIENCE FICTIONS AND GOES UNTIL NOVEMBER 27 AT THE ART INSTITUTE.

THAT IS OUR SHOW FOR TONIGHT.

FOR ALL OF US AT CHICAGO TONIGHT: LATINO VOICES , THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.

>> CLOSED CAPTIONING IS MADE POSSIBLE BY ROBERT A. CLIFFORD AND CLIFFORD LAW OFFICES, A CHICAGO PERSONAL INJURY LAW