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August 25, 2016 Slideshows » Arts

28 Photos from Mini Art Museum's Road Trip from LA to SA

By San Antonio Current Staff

        
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Collaborating with Los Angeles-based artist Mario Ybarra Jr. and his esteemed collective Slanguage Studio, SA-based creative reuse organization Spare Parts and its mobile Mini Art Museum recently expanded its curatorial and educational scope via MAMx, a program inaugurated with the compact yet wide-ranging California showcase “Slanguage: Chicos Pero Locos.” In true DIY fashion, Mini Art Museum co-founders Mary Elizabeth Cantu and Gabriela Santiago traveled to West Hollywood's LA>here.

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Co-founder Gabriela Santiago took along Mini Art Museum's internationally traveled exhibition "Deep In The Heart: A Texas Trilogy" (featuring works by Vincent Valdez, Angela Fox and Christiana Puente) and set it up for a photo op in Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

The Spare Parts Mini Art Museum road trip was meant to be! Mary Elizabeth Cantu found this miniature Texas license plate right before the journey began.

Future art: items picked up by Cantu from a walk along the beach in Santa Monica, California. Don't forget: "Trash is the failure of imagination." — Aaron Kramer

While on a tour of Los Angeles communities and arts organizations, Cantu and artist Mario Ybarra Jr. stopped at a Boyle Heights vigil in memory of Jesse Romero, a 14-year-old who was shot by the LAPD the night before.

Community offerings left in honor of 14-year-old shooting victim Jesse Romero at a vigil held in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Since the goal of Spare Parts is to become a full-time community resource for San Antonio, Cantu visited two creative reuse centers while in Los Angeles. Here's a colorful character made from reusable materials she found while touring T4T. Their mission: "T4T believes manufacturers throw away tons of useful materials teachers, students and artists consider treasures.

Gabriela Santiago interviews Slanguage artist Mickey Everett in West Hollywood.

Four of the 11 "Slanguage: Chicos Pero Locos" artists and the Mini Art Museum co-founders pose with the exhibition in West Hollywood.

Look! Cantu and Santiago point at the title wall where the "Slanguage: Chicos Pero Locos" exhibition was first showcased.

At the suggestion of the Slanguage team, Cantu and Santiago visited the Noah Purifoy Foundation Outdoor Museum in Joshua Tree, where they installed the MAMx exhibition just before sunset.

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1,800 visitors stopped by Mini Art Museum's installation at the Phoenix Art Museum.

A family in Phoenix makes use of the Mini Art Museum's magnifying glass to view the wee works on display in "Slanguage: Chicos Pero Locos."

Wright Elementary School students stop to inspect Mini Art Museum's "Slanguage: Chicos Pero Locos" installation in Tucson, Arizona.

Mini Art Museum co-founder Gabriela Santiago and Turkey the "museum dog" at the New Mexico state line.

"Museum dog" Franklin enjoyed the cool breeze at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park in Alamogordo, New Mexico, where the MAM crew camped and woke up to a beautiful canyon, desert and mountain range.

A breakfast of iced coffee, pan dulce and tacos at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park. Also pictured is a roll of bandages. Franklin, the museum dog, was bit by another dog the day before.

Before leaving Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Cantu and Santiago installed "Slanguage: Chicos Pero Locos" on a picnic table. If you look closely, you'll see Santiago brushing her teeth and both museum dogs: Turkey and Franklin.

Cantu and Franklin at the Texas state line.

A roadside memorial within walking distance from the Texas-New Mexico border.

At a rest stop in Sierra Blanca, Texas, Cantu and Santiago perused the aisles of an antique shop and came upon a woman who took in an orphaned prairie dog pup.

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The show must go on! While Cantu had Franklin's bite checked out, Santiago installed "Slanguage: Chicos Pero Locos" outside the Aline Veterinary Clinic.

Cantu and Santiago's last night on the road was at El Cosmico hotel and campground in Marfa, Texas. In true Spare Parts and Mini Art Museum spirit, the duo stayed in a mini trailer named Amigo and decorated the site with solar-powered lights.

On the final leg of the Mini Art Museum's road trip, Cantu and Santiago coaxed a couple of barflies to abandon their pool game and focus on their exhibit at Marfa's Lonely Horse Saloon.

Mini Art Museum co-founders Cantu and Santiago at El Cosmico hotel and campground in Marfa, Texas.

A big Texas sky hangs over El Cosmico hotel and campground in Marfa.

On their way out of Marfa, Cantu and Santiago stopped to snap a picture of this trash bin. They beg to differ with the slogan "Don't Mess with Texas" as they believe "there's no such thing as throwing something away. There is value in what some consider discardable."

Two pieces of camping enamelware Cantu picked up on the road and photographed in observance of National Thrift Store Day (the Mini Art Museum's last day on the road). Cantu plans to "continue her search for more pre-loved pieces to complete a set for four. "

What were the odds that the Mini Art Museum would be in the same town as San Antonio-based Chicana punk rockers Fea!? Not only did the MAM co-founders get together with band members before their show at Marfa's Lonely Horse Saloon, Fea represented MAM as Cantu and Santiago showed off Fea merch alongside their traveling exhibit. "It was the best way to end our tour," Cantu said.

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