Exhibitions

La Cartonería Mexicana / The Mexican Art of Paper and Paste

La Cartonería Mexicana / The Mexican Art of Paper and Paste
La Cartonería Mexicana / The Mexican Art of Paper and Paste

La Cartonería Mexicana / The Mexican Art of Paper and Paste


January 29, 2023 - November 3, 2024

Mexican cartonería is an artform that expresses human imagination, emotion, and tradition using the simple materials of paper and paste to create a diverse array of subjects such as piñatas, dolls, Day of the Dead skeletons, and fantastical animals called alebrijes.  The first exhibition to focus exclusively on a Mexican folk art tradition in many years, La Cartonería Mexicana showcases more than 100 historic sculptures from the Museum of International Folk Art’s Permanent Collection, many of which have never been displayed.   

The exhibition takes place in our Hispanic Heritage Wing, one of the few museum wings in the United States which devotes space to display the art and heritage of Hispanic and Latino culture.

Milner Plaza Alebrije Exhibit – Opening June 17, 2023 This summer we will be expanding La Cartonería Mexicana onto Milner Plaza.  This outdoor exhibition will feature seven alebrijes and other fanciful spirit animals on loan from the MCC DuPage. The objects reflect the creativity of contemporary Mexican cartoneros.  This exhibition will be free and open to the public during our regular operating hours. 

Installation with the Mexico City cartoneros begins June 14-16.  This outdoor exhibition can be viewed from June 17- October 1, 2023, and is made possible in part by a grant from Los Amigos del Arte Popular.

VIEW THE EXHIBITION’S OBJECT LIST.

For all press inquiries contact Ashley Espinoza at:  ashley.espinoza@dca.nm.gov   505-479-0906

Photo by Addison Doty

Alebrije created by Pedro Linares, mid-1980s. Mexico City, Mexico.