Mexican Consulate in SLC, educational foundation hosting art exhibit featuring Chiapas

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SALT LAKE CITY — An educational foundation with ties to Utah and Mexico is hosting an art exhibit in Salt Lake City aimed at raising awareness about the needs of Indigenous students in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas.

The Escalara Foundation is partnering with the Mexican Consulate in Salt Lake City to host the exhibit focused on the culture of the Highlands of Chiapas. "Chiapas through the lens: Celebrating culture and supporting education" opens Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Mexican Consulate at 660 S. 200 East, Suite 300, in Salt Lake City.

"The event aims to highlight the rich culture of the Highlands and the transformative work of Escalera, raising awareness and funds to support educational programs for Indigenous students in Chiapas," Aylin Estrada Lara, development and policy director for Escalara, said in an email. Coming in the midst of Hispanic Heritage Month, it's also meant to to create a connection between the Mexican American community here in Utah and the educational organization.

The exhibit will be on display through Oct. 16.

The nonprofit Escalera Foundation was founded by Jan and Bryson Garbett, of Salt Lake City, after a 1997 humanitarian aid trip to Mexico with family members. The experience ignited "a passion for service and a profound connection to rural Mexico," reads the organization's website, which has offices in Salt Lake City and San Cristóbal de las Casas, a city in Chiapas.

The photo is one of several featured at an exhibit on the Mexican state of Chiapas that opens in Salt Lake City on Thursday. (Photo: Escalara Foundation)

The foundation promotes educational initiatives in indigenous communities in Chiapas. "It is one of Mexico's most culturally and linguistically important regions, but also one of the most marginalized," Estrada Lara said, adding that the vast majority of families earn less than $6 per day, and many don't have money to send their kids to school.

The exhibit will feature paintings by Gustavo Solís, a Tzotzil artist from Chiapas, and photographs by Arturo Sanchez, who's from Salt Lake City. "Loxa," a "virtual reality" video featuring the life of an Indigenous girl in Chiapas by filmmaker Dane Christensen will also be shown.

"Discover the beauty of Chiapas, learn about the critical work of Foundation Escalera and be inspired to make a difference in the lives of students from indigenous communities," reads a press release from the consulate.