Museum Exhibit Offers a Glance into Mexico's Past
Wednesday, 26 January 2011 00:49
The Arizona State Museum recently opened a new exhibit that showcases many pieces of Mexico's past as well as some its history of border relations with the United States.
"Many Mexicos" was started in November 2010 to commemorate the bicentennial of Mexico's independence from Spain in 1810, and the centennial of the Mexican revolution of 1910. The museum is located on the University of Arizona's campus and will host the exhibit through November 2012.
The exhibition's displays include numerous ancient pieces of pottery and jewelry, statues and figurines from hundreds of years ago, common items such as pendants and even a mosaic mirror. It begins with antique pieces from various tribes such as the Maya, Hohokam, and Aztec, and progresses to more contemporary items such as a uniform worn by Comanche War Chief Santa Anna.
"It's very compelling," said Dr. Michael Brescia, a curator at the museum who helped to establish the exhibition. "I knew Mexico as a country was about to celebrate the bicentennial of its independence from Spain. I asked my colleagues, 'What are we going to do to commemorate this?' I wanted to do an exhibit . . . that shows the sweep of Mexican history."
The history of the border region between Mexico and the U.S. is also addressed in the museum's historical portrayal, with information about events like the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on display for visitors to view.
"The U.S. and Mexican border didn't always exist," said Dr. Brescia. "The Treaty of Guadalupe and the Gadsden Purchase solidified the border." He also noted that for the month of February 2011, the museum will be displaying some of the original pages of the Treaty of Guadalupe within its collection.
Kyle Phillips, a student at the UA, found the exhibit very informative. "It's pretty interesting and very inclusive on a lot of different aspects," he said. "I'm an anthropology major, so I really appreciate it."
Many of the pieces in the collection have been loaned through organizations such as the Amerind Foundation, which specializes in Native American history. Other pieces have come from local lenders such as Gloria Giffords, the mother of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
"Gabby Giffords' mom, Gloria, loaned a number of pieces," said Diane Dittemore, an ethnological collections curator at the museum. "She's a serious scholar on the arts. She was the main private lender."
Dittemore says that they had only a limited amount of space in which to share with visitors an expansive history of an entire nation. "It's hard to tell a huge contemporary story in a small gallery," she said.
"We have a large collection of folk art and archaeological works . . . we're trying hard to tell a story that no one else can tell."
Further information about "Many Mexicos," as well as other exhibitions offered at the Arizona State Museum, is available here.
Written by Kayla Lema You are reading Museum Exhibit Offers a Glance into Mexico's Past articles
News
- Streetcar Construction Creates Difficulty for Downtown Businesses
- Take Back the Night: Cover it Live
- Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument clears air about dangers of the border
- Personal activism turns into motivation for demonstration
- Missing on the Border
- University of Arizona NROTC members may carry weapons on training hikes near Mexico
- The Reincarnation Tour: Celebrating a Vibrant and New Central Phoenix
- Identificame
Culture
People
Education
- Rap, Culture & God Lecture
- Cover it Live - CBP's Mario Escalante will share tips of how to be a better border reporter with SPJ.
- Cover it Live: Margaret Regan Talk on Arizona-Mexico Border Stories
- Similarities Emphasized at ‘Queer-ability’ Discussion
- The Essence of Gamma Alpha Omega
- Spanish Heritage Learner Program Enhances UA Education
- Arizona Women's Heritage Trail
- Border Beat Class
Health
Sports
- Cover it Live Boxing Training Session
- UA Decathlete Strives to Make the Most of Life in the US
- Ride Report- Premises Park Progress
- The Grip On Tucson Climbing
- Shootout decides 2012 Desert Diamond Cup Championship Game
- Soccer Success Still Kicking in Tucson
- L.A Galaxy v. New York Red Bulls
- La Fiesta de los Vaqueros Tucson Rodeo
Food
Related Items
Border Beat Blogs
Educación en la FronteraBy: Shannon Maule
A look at higher education in regard to those who have and have not been able to travel from various countries to the United States. Stories from people in the higher education world relating to the border.
A Mosaic AmericaBy: Rachel Kolinski
"Exploring Diversity one Face at a Time"
By: Hope Jamieson
Explore dance throughout the borderlands.
A City of Musical DiversityBy: Maria Teracena
Tucson musicians influence and are influenced by the sounds of the world.
Culture CrossingBy: Chelsey Barthel
American borders are crossed every day by cultures of all kind. These stories tell the personal experiences of people from different lands, offering further insight into the difference of cultures.
By: Lauren Inouye
A look at Mexican and Latin films that reflect culture, politics, and society -- reviews, research and analysis.
By: Charles Misra
Stories about martial arts and combat sports with a cultural twist, all finding a home in America's southwestern borderlands.
Border PeopleBy: Jamie Turow
Profiles of English language learners.
By: Jessica Hoerth
Meet some of the people in Tucson who have made the journey across the border as they share what they came in search of and what struggles they may have encountered along the way.
By: Lauren Urratio
Fashion and how it is impacted by the border and international cultures.
By: Lucy Valencia
News from along the border with Mexico
The Border ProjectBy: Melissa Guz
"The Border Project" is an art showcase located in the University of Arizona's Museum of Art. It has over 40+ art pieces related to border issues.
Athletics and the BorderBy: Preston Fawcett
Get to know high school coachs and athletes from Arizona border towns or from Mexico and their struggles to get to where they are.
By: Audrey A. Fitzsimmons
The Southwest boasts of diverse ethnic backgrounds and a wealth of interesting personalities. Border Personalities is dedicated to the people of the Southwest and their stories.
By: Jeff Kessler
U.S. - Mexico border issues, current events, and interesting local stories
Music of the BorderBy: Steven Schiraldi
Music reviews of musical works by Mexican or other ethnic artists.
By: Brett Haupt
A visual exploration of America’s last frontier -- pictures and videos from different areas of the wall and fence that separate two different worlds and insight into what really stands between the United States and Mexico, ramifications of wall building and what it means for the average citizen.
Border AthletesBy: Lauren Sokol
Meet international student athletes at the University of Arizona, a look at the recruiting process that helped them find a temporary home in the desert, and culture changes that the athletes might have endured.
Journey Across the BorderBy: Emily Kjesbo
Spotlighting Mexico’s top travel destinations, as well as a few of its hidden gems.
Border ShotsBy: Keith Perfetti
A photojournalist looks at how other photographers have viewed the border and shoots lesser known spots of the southwest.
MLS Soccer comes to the Desert
By: Jeff Kessler
All about the 2012 Desert Diamond Cup, a 10 day exhibition soccer tournament featuring four Major League Soccor teams coming to Tucson.