Oye Cómo Va: USU Undergrad Scholars Curate Communitywide Latinx Art Exhibition

Two Utah State University undergraduate scholars led the curation and installation of a communitywide Latinx art exhibit.

The Latinx Art Exhibition/Exposición de Arte Latínx 2026 opened Sept. 9 and runs through Oct. 3 at the ReadyMade Gallery, 28 W. Center St. in downtown Logan.

Gallery hours are noon to 7 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. A free public reception will be 5-7 p.m. Sept. 12 during Cache Valley’s 6th annual Gran Latino Festival in the Historic Center Street District.

Caine Scholars Kjrstine Landaverde and Ella White selected pieces by local and regional artists, drawing on varied media and styles that express a wide range of Latin American experiences in the United States. Neither student had previous experience with full curation and installation of an entire gallery.

“The exhibition doesn’t have a specific theme, so we were free to select a range of works reflecting very different experiences,” said White, an art history major who is minoring in religious studies and earning a certificate in museum studies. “Our focus has been on how these pieces work together and how the installation tells a story.”

Landaverde says she hopes the exhibition will create a space where people feel safe, connected and free to express themselves. She adds the “behind-the-scenes” setup to achieve meaningful, eye-catching displays involved careful thought and planning.

“There’s a lot more math involved with the installation than you would assume,” said Landaverde, a photography major with a film studies minor. “Every installation venue is different. You have to map out the space, which requires patience. As you create the arrangement, you have to think about placement order and what you’re experiencing as you walk through it.”

White, who gained skills with art installation and object handling during a previous internship with USU’s Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, says the process was very methodical.

“You have to consider what should be at the beginning to welcome guests to the exhibition and what should be at the end,” she said. “But we had a lot of freedom with the placement.”

An inviting feature of the exhibition are the ofrendas — traditional Latino altars comprised of sentimental objects, photos, and food offerings framed by bright orange marigolds — that frame the gallery’s entrance and an interior table.

“This custom is rooted in Latin American culture and we felt it would be a welcoming display that invites people to think of their own experiences and connections to the exhibition,” said Landaverde, who, along with White, added some of her own family photos and artifacts to the altars.

Álvaro Ibarra, assistant professor of art history in USU’s Department of Art + Design and the students’ faculty mentor, recruited Landaverde and White to take on the project, which helped the undergrads develop career-ready skills.

“Gaining experience is important, but my goal is to go beyond teaching career skills,” Ibarra said. “I offer intrepid students experiences they can put on their résumé. Experiences that will get them jobs. Experiences that will get them into graduate programs. Experiences that set them apart.”

Both Landaverde and White, who will graduate from USU in spring 2027, plan to pursue graduate studies.

“I’m grateful for the hands-on, experiential learning that will help me with my senior thesis and with future employment,” Landaverde said. “Ultimately, I’d like to pursue graduate studies in film production.”

White, who plans to work toward a graduate degree in art history and a possible MBA, hopes to work in museum spaces and is grateful for the opportunity to work on a start-to-finish project.

“Much of my undergrad career has been spent in the ‘basement,’ surrounded by artifacts and works of art,” she said. “It’s exciting to collaborate on a big project, to be involved in the curation and installation of an exhibition, and to experience the public’s reaction.”