March 18 – April 12
Reception: Thursday, March 21, 4-6pm
Location: Gallery at Truax, Madison College-Truax Campus, 1701 Wright St, Madison, WI
Inspired by the rich tradition of Mexican relief block printing, Tirado’s art explores the impact of migration on culture, identity, traditions, memories, and the notion of home, focusing on labor-related migration within Mexican diasporas. Tirado’s fusion of research and ethnography illuminates the complex narratives woven into migration stories and cultural (in)visibility. Tirado’s artistic journey initially stemmed from exploring the various diasporas inherent in her Mexican American identity, rooted in the experiences of her immigrant parents, and expanded to the nation’s farm workers.
“The social issues affecting rural migrant farm working communities have driven me both as an artist and educator to illustrate and uplift the voices and lived realities of these communities, utilizing my art as a framework for visibility,” Tirado says.
She intentionally brings together diverse realms and uses printmaking as a tool for visibility, merging aesthetics and politics, and infusing the personal with social.
Tirado earned her bachelor of arts from the University of Washington in Seattle, and her master’s in teaching from Heritage University in Toppenish, Washington. She is currently an Education Graduate Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Christie served as an elementary and middle school art teacher in the Yakima Valley in Washington State for eight years.
Her artwork has been exhibited and collected nationally, and featured in museums and galleries across the United States and in Mexico.