(upbeat, cheerful music) - Our guest this evening are Jorge Rojas, and Fanny Guadalupe Blauer, here to talk to us about the art of belonging at the beautiful new UVU Museum of Art.

Hello both, welcome.

Jorge, why don't you start, and tell us about this collaboration.

- Yeah, so over about two years ago, Lisa Anderson, who was director of the museum, hired Fanny Blauer and I. Fanny's the executive director of Artes de Mexico en Utah, and myself, to advise and consult on building an initiative that would help launch the new UVU Museum of Art at the Bastion Mansion to really create a model that could be replicated around community engagement, inclusion, diversity, equity, and really just come kind of out of the gate, coming outta the gate saying, "We value diversity, we wanna celebrate our diverse cultures."

And that's exactly what we've done.

- That's so wonderful.

And I've been to that museum, it is stunning.

Stunning.

And Fanny, I know that you helped put this exhibit together so why don't you tell us about specifics of events coming up?

- Sure.

I do wanna say that this is a project that has been centered in the diversity of voices that otherwise have been marginalized or historically oppressed.

And so it's centered in the, in an exhibit for the people of color.

And that is a window of opportunity to acknowledge, as well, the indigenous values that make our Americas.

So with that in mind, I have brought a project from an artist, international renowned artist, called Maruch Sántiz Gómez, who is a Maya Tzotzil photographer, weaver, and an environmental activist who, through her own lens, captures the landscapes and the history, the myths and the realities of her ancestors in a way to preserve them through beliefs.

- [Mary] Okay.

- And different stories.

- Okay and I know there's a panel coming up, and they can find out more at the website, so- - Yeah, part of, there's three exhibitions.

We actually had a statewide juried show of artists who are self-identified as black indigenous people of color.

And there's a, on August 15th, there's a panel with four artists that'll be wonderful.

- [Mary] Great.

- Everyone's invited.

- Thank you so much for being here.

Thank you.

And if you'd like to know more about that exhibit at Utah Valley University Museum of Art, The Art of Belonging, go to uvuu.edu/museum.

uvuu.edu/museum.

Don't miss it.

(cheerful music) It's a stunning exhibit and facility.

I'm Mary Dickson, thanks for watching "Contact".

- Local events, arts, culture.

It's what brings us together.

Hi, I'm Mary Dickson.

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