Thank you to all of you that attended the opening reception of the exhibition From Here and There: An Unbreakable Cultural Bond in celebration of the 200 anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States of America. The New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Foundation is proud to collaborate with the Mexican Cultural Institute and sponsor outstanding Art exhibitions like this one for the New Orleans community.

The history of the diplomatic relationships between Mexico and the United States of America started in 1822 and has a long complex social, economic, and diplomatic context. Historically culture exchange as a universal language, has been one of the most effective diplomatic means to find common ground between nations. This phenomenon has been a continuing narrative that has shaped not only the present relationship between both countries but their perception of each other through the eyes of their most valuable asset, their artists.

The exhibition From Here and There: An Unbreakable Cultural Bond curated by Belinda Flores-Shinshillas MA Ed and Marcela Correa MA, will present the work of seven Mexican and American artists that share the indebtedness of their creative journey to Mexico. Each artist expresses their identity through diverse mediums and viewpoints finding common ground in a shatterproof ongoing cultural exchange. Charles Lovell (USA), Michael Alford (USA), Carmen Mariscal (Mexico-USA), Belinda Flores-Shinshillas (Mexico-USA), Hugo Crosthwaite (Mexico-USA), José Villalobos (Mexico-USA), and Enrique Alferez (Mexico-USA) exemplify the creative journey these artists from both countries share and how they look at Mexico for constant inspiration.