SPOTLIGHT: Awardees Build Upon RBN Digital Archive through Art and Activism
Tucson, Ariz. - Over the summer, the Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry and University Libraries' Special Collections selected three southern Arizona artists and scholars to creatively repurpose the Reclaiming the Border Narrative (RBN) archive. These recipients developed projects that use the RBN digital archive materials in innovative and compelling ways.
Each artist brought their own personal touch to the project and created displays for community members to engage with. The projects celebrated the archive’s impact through new perspective to the border narrative and recognized the rich content it preserves.
Meet the Artists and their Projects:
Feng-Feng Yeh – “Vivamos Siempre Como Hermanos”
Yeh is a chef and emerging multidisciplinary food artist in the Tucson community. She created a Chinese Grocery Store Pop-Up at the Tucson Museum of Art. Shelves filled and stocked with goods labeled with titles from the Reclaiming the Border Narrative Digital Archive and historic photos of Chinese grocery stores. “The installation will create a space for reflection on history, community, and identity as well as give opportunity to contribute to the borderland narrative.”
Feng-Feng Yeh at her pop-up grocery store “Vivamos Siempre Como Hermanos”
Yeh’s project is a nod to the 100 or more forgotten centers for community that existed in the barrios of downtown Tucson, Arizona. Placing the archive within the grocery store as a historic cradle for the complexity and interconnected resilience of borderland identity.
“The pop-up will prepare our community to begin a dialog exploring their own relation to the borderlands. How has their connection to forced displacement and historical erasure affected their perception of time, place and people? How does this kind of dynamic storytelling act as collective resistance?”
Andrés Caballero – “Del Otro Lado”
Caballero a photographer and MFA student created a zine book that encapsulated the digital archive. The zine book features various projects on migration and resilience, highlighting the importance of art and initiatives like Reclaiming the Border Narrative.
“This publication serves as a tangible and artistic extension of the digital archive that will include a QR code to access the full online catalog, promoting greater awareness and understanding of the complex narratives of the US-Mexico borderlands.”
Each zine featured a curated selection of photos, video stills, text interviews and poems that reflected the spirit and diversity of the borderlands. Caballero held an exhibition of the zine book at the School of Art where he showcased and recognized the work of the archive.
MFA Student, Andrés Caballero at his reception of “Del Otro Lado”
For Caballero he feels the border and migration being used as a political weapon by certain groups in the country, to instill fear.
“I feel like art, these projects, these initiatives such as the reclaiming the border narrative, are super important, just for a resistance against these powers, against these institutions of control,” Caballero said.
The book was distributed for free to university and external organizations focused on migration and connect people to the digital archive.
Vanessa Saavedra – “Fronteras Realidades”
Growing up in Nogales, Sonora, after moving from Jalisco at 8 years old, Saavedra said she experienced firsthand how the border shaped her identity. With support from a Confluencenter and Special Collections grant, she draws from the University of Arizona Libraries’ “Reclaiming Border Narratives” archive to express the emotions and cultural dimensions of border life through painting.
MFA student, Vanessa Saavedra at her reception “Fronterizas Realidades”.
“The border’s physical and metaphorical lines directly influenced my perspective, symbolizing waiting, transition and daily movement,” Saavedra said. “Through my work, I invite viewers to actively engage with this intersection of culture, struggle and resilience.”
This exhibition fostered a deeper understanding of the borderlands, challenging mainstream perceptions and encouraging viewers to engage with the multidimensional realities of migration, identity and community.
The Significance of the digital archive:
The Reclaiming the Border Narrative digital archive houses materials created by dozens of borderlands journalists, activists, culture bearers, storytellers and artists who challenge dominant and mainstream narratives that portray the borderlands in a negative light and criminalize migration. The archive is supported and maintained by Special Collections at the University Libraries.
“The archive is a powerful testament to the importance of storytelling in reclaiming identities and fostering understanding,” said Katheryne B. Willock Head of Special Collections Veronica Reyes-Escudero “As we celebrate their innovative work, let’s commit to exploring these narratives, challenging our perceptions, and recognizing the power of art and activism in shaping a more inclusive world.
“The projects by Feng-Feng Yeh, Andrés Caballero, and Vanessa Saavedra are not just artistic endeavors; they represent a movement to redefine the narratives around migration and identity.” said Director of the Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry Dr. Javier Duran. “By building upon the Reclaiming the Border Narrative digital archive, these awardees invite us to engage in meaningful conversations about our shared histories and futures.”
Stay tuned for updates on these inspiring projects and the ongoing efforts at the Confluencenter and University Libraries to promote dialogue and understanding around border narratives.