A Colorful Holiday Season at the Museum

With one step through the front doors of the Museum, guests are sure to notice the featured exhibition they are about to experience is packed with vibrant color and cultural heritage. Soñadora: Yuyi Morales isn’t about Christmas and displays more colors than red and green, but the exhibition shares a theme that I think many people would say is what the holiday season is all about – the celebration of tradition while looking forward with hope to what the future can bring.

Celebrating traditions and cultural heritage are often people’s favorite thing to do this time of year. Yuyi’s stories and illustrations are similarly packed with her fondness for her native Mexican culture. From Mexican wrestling to “Day of the Dead” celebrations, Morales describes her own traditions using dazzling colors and textures in a way that leaves the viewer with a sense of wonder.  Her artwork has already inspired many youngsters who have visited the Museum from schools around the area, while offering older visitors a portal back into the magic of their childhoods.

Yuyi’s adventure through life is best described in her book Dreamers, as she vibrantly depicts her journey to the United States as an immigrant. With hope for the future and her undeniable courage to keep dreaming, Morales was able to carve out a path for herself in a place she could barely understand. Yuyi taught herself English using children’s books borrowed from the local library, inspiring her to use a childhood love for art making to create stories of her own. Morales’s belief in herself and unique point of view could hardly be more inspirational. Belief, hope, courage, inspiration – the holiday spirit is often described in the same light.

Even while enjoying the cheesiest of holiday movies, the “holiday theme” can inspire us all. That same magic and hope, something that can often be overshadowed by the hustle and bustle of Christmas, is certainly on display in Soñadora: Yuyi Morales. A visit to the Museum to immerse yourself in the magic of this exhibition is something that will remind you what the holiday season is all about.