Maricela Lara Puente

" Maricela Lara Puente is originally from Mexico City, but has lived in Brownsville for more than two decades. She studied art and vocal music in D.F. at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. I first saw her work in the Small Works show at Galeria 409. She brought in two drawings that were ball point pen on typing paper. I liked her style of drawing. There are things happening in the pictures that you can't explain. She's created her own world and populated it with her own creatures. It's a world that often defies conventional perspective and reason. Her work has evolved a bit, gotten larger and more colorful as the artist experiments with watercolor and acrylic paint and pastels, but I think Puente's work is consistent, and she has stayed true to her original vision. There's a whimsical, fantastic quality to most of her work, but it's got a dark side, and a bit of an edge. There's beauty, but something dark is going on in the shadows. It's not a Walt Disney fantasy land, but a world where the witches roast babies for breakfast and the dead don't stay in their graves after the sun goes down. Hey, that sounds just like Brownsville, doesn't it? I hope you enjoy the show." Mark Clark


New Work by Puente
Galeria 409 invites you to a reception to celebrate
the opening of an exhibition of new work by Puente.
The show opens at 6:00 pm on Thursday,
the 9th of April and continues thru May 2nd
and is free.

Galeria 409 is located at 409 East 13th Street,
between Levee and Elizabeth Streets, a block
from the Gateway Bridge in downtown historic
Brownsville. Hours are Wednesday - Saturday
from noon until 5:00 pm.