Walking into El Ojito Springs Center for Creativity, 340 N. Fourth Ave.,
is like taking a step over the U.S.-Mexico border.

Artwork inspired by artist Valarie James with contributing artists like sculptor Antonia Gallegos, painter Tanya Alvarez and Deborah McCullough line the walls of El Ojito Springs as part of “The Hearts Path: Border Arts and Artifacts From the Migrant Trail.”

The exhibit displays the hardships of those attempting to cross the border in hopes of starting a new life in the United States. Small but visually powerful items left in the desert, such as old dirty shoes and empty water bottles show who fell short in their journey as their feet grew weary and their source of hydration depleted.

James even managed to find beauty in a simple spoon with a caption that reads, “How far would you go to feed your family?”



A small TV in the corner plays the “Hearts Path” DVD, which documents the history of those attempting to cross the border, highlighting the problems they faced along the way including sickness, starvation and dehydration.



A large black Nazi symbol reading “Border Patrol” is the first eye-catching display, along with a collage of photographs of immigrants and their families in the background.





On the wall adjacent to the display is a series of photographs of a woman with a packet of birth control pills in the center and a wrinkled bra placed below. The caption explains how women would take a two-month’s supply of birth control pills with them in order to avoid complications if they were to be raped in their ventures across the border.



At one end of the exhibit, there is a section dedicated to the letters and pictures done by children who were writing to their family members that have attempted to cross the border. One little girl’s letter from 2005 talks about how much she misses her father and hopes for his return.

The exhibit comes to a close at the children’s section. The chilling reality hits hard here. According to viewers’ comments in the guest book, the final section is where visitors put a face on who is affected by these border crossings. Viewers see the dangers people face trying to start a new life away from the hardships they face at home.

To experience this art that has touched many people and made them stop and think about how dedicated these border crossers are, visit "The Heart's Path" that runs until December 31.