Denver, CO – To honor Immigrant Heritage Month in a powerful act of creative resistance and community healing, Motus Theater company returns with their award-winning mural project to Denver. The murals that were once vandalized come back to Denver in an indoor exhibition in collaboration with Redline Contemporary Arts Center entitled “UndocuAmerica: Reclaiming Our Presence.” This exhibition features the murals of Motus undocumented storytellers created by Edica Pacha that were vandalized while on view in public spaces in 2022, and adds additional art uplifting Motus’ undocumented storytellers by Sebastián Sifuentes. The exhibition is part of Redline’s Stories_Underscored project and will be exhibited at Redline’s satellite location at the Evans School in June in conjunction with Motus monologue performances at the Evans Theater.
Denver-based immigrant rights leader and UndocuAmerica Monologist Armando Peniche said, “it’s easy to vandalize a mural and try to rip apart a person’s humanity, but it is more rewarding to pause and breathe and listen to the story of a person who had a different life journey than your own.”
Saturday June 1, 8, and 22nd 6:30-7:30pm UndocuAmerica: Reclaiming Our Presence Art Exhibition Tea & Cookies Reception. Followed by a unique intersectional performance each Saturday from 7:30pm–9pm.
Exhibit Dates & Times: Saturday June 1st, 8th, and 22nd 6:30-7:30pm
PERFORMANCE Dates & Time: Saturday June 1st, 8th, and 22nd 7:30-9pm
- June 1: AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MONOLOGUES OF UNDOCUMENTED COLORADANS
- June 8: JUSTICE BEHIND BARS: STORIES ABOUT PRIVATIZED DETENTION & CARCERAL CORPORATIONS
- June 22: QUEER IMMIGRANT PRIDE! EMPOWERING PERFORMANCES OF LGBTQIA+ IMMIGRANTS
LOCATION: Evans School, Denver; 1115 Acoma St, Denver, CO 80204
TICKETS: Two for $25
Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, impact partner for the Jun 1 opening adds: “The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition is honored to co-sponsor the ‘Motus Theater’s UndocuAmerica: Reclaiming Our Presence’ exhibit. Storytelling is a powerful tool for healing and honoring the histories of our families. As we celebrate Immigrant Heritage Month, we recognize the importance of carrying these legacies forward in our continued fight for liberation. This exhibit invites us to connect with the stories of undocumented Coloradans, fostering understanding and shared humanity in a time when it is needed most.”
About the Exhibition & Performance Series:
Motus Theater’s UndocuAmerica: Reclaiming Our Presence invites visitors to engage with art that centers undocumented Coloradans’ stories through a variety of mediums including photography, illustrations, films, and animations. At a time when people who are undocumented are often demonized as “other” for political gain, the art in this exhibit invites us to look past our differences and find our shared humanity. Regardless of individual beliefs about immigration policy, this project allows visitors to know more about the impact of these policies on the lives of undocumented or DACAmented people (recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program) and their families. Featured murals also available as free “Mini-Mural” postcards with a QR code linking to monologists’ stories so attendees can share in uplifting our undocumented neighbors.
To learn more about the exhibition and Motus Theater’s impactful work, please visit motustheater.org/