Exhibit of Mexican art opens at Union Station

A diverse selection of paintings, sculpture and other art from Mexico opened Saturday in conjunction with a Hispanic expo at Union Station.

“Visions of Mexican Art” is the result of a collaboration between the Kansas City Museum and the Consulate of Mexico in Kansas City.

The collection contains more than 50 works by some of Mexico’s most renowned artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo, Jose Luis Cuevas and Graciela Iturbide.

“We are so proud to bring this exhibition to Kansas City,” Alicia Kerber, the recently appointed consul of Mexico in Kansas City, said in a statement. “The exhibit will highlight the best of Mexican art for the last seven decades.”

The artworks, which include drawings and photographs, are from the Mexican government’s Heritage Archive and its “payment in kind” program, in which artists donate their work in lieu of taxes.

The exhibit may be viewed today by ticket holders attending Expo Americas, the second annual event highlighting Hispanic businesses, culture and products. The art show will then be free and open to the general public beginning Tuesday and running through Nov. 11. The exhibit is in the Power & Light Gallery at the end of the north hall at Union Station.

It is only the second time that Union Station has staged an art exhibit. A showing of Andy Warhol pieces was staged in 2009.

This exhibit complements an initiative of the Kansas City Museum to focus on and collect Kansas City’s Latino history. The museum is offering a variety of programs and activities in conjunction with the exhibit, including a Latino Heritage Trolley Tour. For more information, go to www.kansascitymuseum.org.