'Raíces (Roots)' exhibit at WNC Carson City campus features work of artist Ruby Barrientos

Artist Ruby Barrientos celebrates an El Salvadorian heritage with large paintings and mixed-media artworks in the "Raíces (Roots)" exhibition.

The Capital City Arts Initiative’s exhibit with Barrientos is in Western Nevada College’s Bristlecone Gallery, 2201 W College Parkway, Carson City. It is open to the public now through April 12, 2024, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.

The artist’s reception will take place on Friday, February 23, 5 to 6:30 p.m; the artist’s introduction is at 5:30.

We are delighted to announce that CCAI received a Challenge America grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and a supporting grant from the Nevada Governor’s Office of Federal Assistance, both to support Ruby Barrientos’ exhibit.

The exhibition presents large contemporary paintings, drawings, sculptures that use traditional Mayan imagery combined with contemporary cultural references giving viewers access to history and current social trends. For this show, Barrientos built large mixed-media sculptures and also used traditional acrylic paint-on-canvas techniques.

Ruby is a first-generation Salvadoran American artist born and raised in Reno, NV, and is a self-taught/independent visual artist who shows art in galleries and museums locally. Ruby is an “artivist” utilizing an artistic voice coined as Nuwave Mayan, a style that incorporates Barrientos’ Salvadoran Mayan ancestry and heritage in the creation of socially relevant work. The creation of exhibits, talks, performances, public art, and community involvement speaks to Barrientos’ commitment to engaging with the public through thoughtful discussions about creating better more inclusive futures. See more of Barrientos’ art at www.nuwavemayan.com/

Mark Salinas wrote the essay, "'Altared' Perspectives", for the exhibition — available in the gallery and online at ccainv.org. Salinas is the Public Art Program Manager for the City of Berkeley, California, and is responsible for the municipal development and implementation of public art policies, procedures, and programming. He is an activist for centering social responsibility and cultural competency within the arts, believing transparent and inclusive practices support a healthy democracy. In 2020, amid Black Lives Matter protests and the COVID-19 pandemic, he created The First Lady Presents…, an online arts education initiative promoting the visibility of artists from non-dominant communities in Nevada. Alongside namesake project partner Nevada First Lady Kathy Sisolak, this statewide program reached national recognition. Salinas is a recipient of the 2019 Nevada Humanities Rising Star Award and the 2022 Nevada Governor’s Point of Light Award.

For sign-language interpretation or access to assisted-listening devices at the artist's February 23 reception, please let CCAI know of your request at info-arts-initiative.org by Thursday, February 15. Thank you.

Gisela Munzo, a Western Nevada College Latino Leadership Academy student, provided a Spanish translation of the show’s wall text.

Western Nevada College is a component of the Nevada System of Higher Education, with campuses in Carson City, Douglas County, and Fallon. CCAI is an artist-centered nonprofit organization committed to community engagement in contemporary visual arts through exhibitions, illustrated talks, arts education programs, artist residencies, and online activities.

This exhibition is supported by a National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America grant and by the Nevada Governor’s Office of Federal Assistance. The Initiative is also funded by the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust, Nevada Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities, John and Grace Nauman Foundation, Nevada Arts Council, Kaplan Family Charitable Fund, Southwest Gas Corporation Foundation, Steele & Associates LLC, and CCAI sponsors and members.

For additional information, please visit CCAI’s website at www.ccainv.org.