The work itself speaks to both personal and collective histories. Juan Fernando Valdez’s poignant workwear pieces honor familial legacy through customized garments, while Serena Madrigal’s deeply personal piñatas reclaim childhood celebrations never experienced. Alma Jimenez Lopez’s ceramic vessels and Alexi Orduño’s vivid paintings capture moments of cultural preservation passed down through generations. Each piece serves as both artwork and artifact, creating a rich tapestry of Mexican-American experience that refuses to be simplified or erased.

We urge everyone to visit El Listón Café in its final week at Glass Rice. The show represents more than a gathering of exceptional work – it stands as a declaration of presence, of unwavering identity, of the power found in collective voice. There is perhaps no one better equipped to speak to this mission than Alma and Sergio themselves, whose full conversation about creating this vital platform is below. This community cannot be denied, and we are excited for what comes next.

The name “El Listón Café” (The Brown Ribbon) feels especially poignant given the current political climate. Can you talk about how you chose this title and what it represents both culturally and as an act of resistance?

ALMA: The name El Listón Café (The Brown Ribbon) speaks to the invisible threads that bind us—across borders, across generations, across lived experiences. Much like Of Threads, the title holds true to our mission: To weave together our Mexican and American identities into something cohesive and undeniable. Ribbons have always carried deep cultural significance in our communities. They adorn our childhood braids, embellish our dresses for events, and celebrations. The listón is a reminder that while we may have individual paths, we are bound to one another through our shared history and cultural resilience.

Sergio: I love and admire what Alma and I created. It came from the heart. Alma and I always ventured into art and design fairs all around the world, and we never really saw ourselves in the work. We felt like we were always on the outside looking in. Our culture, our people, was so rich, so ancient and yet so far away from the world that we wanted to belong in. Since we met, 15 years ago, we always talked about doing something for our community. We always saw the gap in the industry, a voice that was not represented.

Today we wanted to bring together a collection of our favorite artists all in their own medium in a beautiful show that is laced together like a listón to tell a beautiful story. We had no idea that this political climate was going to be so strong, so poignant. Our idea that we had 15 years ago came to life at the perfect time. El Listón Café is so special to the both of us, we grew up with strong women in our life and that’s what this show and name references: strength, culture and a voice that is proud of who we are. El Listón is woven so tightly around our community and unapologetically brown (café).

Alma: The color café (brown) speaks directly to our skin, our identity, and the often-overlooked beauty of our heritage. In a time when brown bodies, stories, and spaces are frequently marginalized or erased, El Listón Café stands as an intentional act of visibility and resistance. It reflects our presence, honors the resilience of our ancestors, and challenges singular narratives that fail to capture the depth of the Mexican-American experience. More than an exhibition, El Listón Café is an act of reclamation. It acknowledges that we are not just living a Mexican reality or an American reality—we are living both, simultaneously. And in that in-between space, where cultures blend and histories intertwine, there is undeniable beauty, strength, and power. Through this exhibition, we celebrate that duality—not as something to resolve, but as something to honor.

In creating the exhibition’s immersive domestic scenes, you mentioned wanting visitors to feel like they were “walking into our own homes.” How does this intimate, personal approach challenge the typical white cube gallery experience, and what does it say about the relationship between private cultural spaces and public presentation?

Alma – The white cube gallery space has historically been a space of exclusion—designed for a specific, often Eurocentric, way of experiencing art that prioritizes detachment, neutrality, and intellectual distance. But for many of us, art is not something we experience in isolation. It is woven into our everyday lives, into the objects we use, the spaces we inhabit, and the rituals we carry forward. By transforming the exhibition into an immersive domestic setting, we are reclaiming a space that feels inherently ours. The experience of stepping into a home— where you can sit within a space that feels lived-in—immediately breaks the barrier between audience and artwork. It invites people to engage with the pieces in a way that feels familiar, like visiting a parents home or gathering in a communal space.

Sergio: Both of us have grown to become very successful designers in their own world. When Glass Rice gave us the opportunity to turn the typical white cube gallery into anything we wanted, we dreamed big but most importantly, we looked inward and the spaces we both grew up in. These living rooms, kitchens, although small and humble, were very sacred spaces, a place that was/is warm, welcoming and always the center of our communities. Art in our childhood homes was always integral and familiar. It was common to display it with your grandma’s hand crochet napkin. It was not precious but just something so handmade, so truly familiar and we wanted to capture that essence. We even changed all the lighting in the gallery to create a warmer temperature and people took note. They loved hanging out, staying a while and conversing with us.

Alma: This approach also highlights the ways in which our culture has historically been preserved within private, intimate spaces. So much of our history is held in kitchens, in family altars, in handmade objects passed down through generations. By bringing these elements into a public exhibition, we expand the conversation about what fine art can be—demonstrating that the personal and the everyday objects hold just as much artistic significance.

Sergio: To me both private and public need to blend more, there needs to be more soul in how we see art. Art should be for everyone and it should be democratized. Even the architecture of a gallery can turn a normal person away. We aimed to create a space that was welcoming and provided a smile for anyone walking by. A celebration of our community.

Many of the works in the show deal with memory and childhood – from Serena Madrigal’s piñatas to Alma’s ceramic vessels. How do you see these personal narratives of growing up Mexican-American contributing to a larger dialogue about cultural preservation and resistance?

Alma: The works in El Listón Café transform deeply personal memories into tangible artifacts of cultural preservation and resistance. For many of us, memory is the most powerful way we hold onto our heritage—through the smells of home-cooked meals, the rhythms of family gatherings, or the simple yet profound objects that shaped our everyday lives. These everyday moments become vessels for our history, carrying stories of both joy and hardship, of resilience and reclamation.

Sergio: All the artists have so much to say about their upbringing, what they see in their community and the stories they have lived with. These artists are all fighters, we all had to fight in our story. Serena and Alma’s work are so special because you see a childhood that they are so eager to relive. They both had to grow up so fast and that is a very true story in our community. I see their work as personal journeys in who they want to become and for that I find it so strong and personal at the same time.

Alma: Serena Madrigal’s Piñatas stand as a deeply personal artifact of resilience. Her pinatas are dedicated to her youth & for all the birthday parties she never got to have while bouncing around from foster home to foster home until she was finally reunited with her biological family at the age of 12, her work reclaims a symbol of childhood joy that was once absent from her own experience. Each piñata represents a lost year, a birthday uncelebrated, a moment of belonging deferred. Yet in crafting them now, as an artist, she reshapes the narrative—offering herself and others the possibility of healing through remembrance.

Similarly, my ceramic vessels are sacred artifacts of memory, identity, and resilience—celebrating both the woman I have become and the little girl who had to grow up too soon. Like many first-generation children, I carried the weight of being an interpreter, an advocate, and the bridge between two worlds, often acting as the voice for those who could not speak the language. What once felt like a burden—being forced into adulthood too early, translating for parents in hospitals, schools, and government offices—has transformed into a profound superpower: the ability to hold space for others, to have deep empathy for those who have been silenced or overlooked. My work honors this duality, where childhood wonder and adult responsibility coexisted, shaping me into someone who understands the power of being heard. Together, these works preserve both personal histories and a collective experience deeply rooted in the Mexican-American community. They show that art is more than a refugio of culture—it is a continuation of it.

Sergio: There is this dialogue in everyone’s work with our past, an eagerness to connect to our ancient roots. I think it’s a special voice, a voice that is saying don’t forget about your past, preserve and hold on to your unique story.

Alma: What was once weight has become wisdom. What once felt like pain is now power. Through these tangible artifacts, memory is honored, identity is affirmed, and a new narrative of resilience is woven—one that refuses to be forgotten.

For many artists in the show, this is their first time exhibiting alongside fellow Mexican-American peers. How has bringing together this specific community of creators influenced the work itself and the conversations happening around it?

OF THREADS: There is something deeply affirming about seeing your work contextualized within a community that shares your lived experiences—where explanations become unnecessary because the references are understood intuitively. This inherent power is amplified when a collective comes together, influencing each work in unexpected ways. A shared language emerges—a mutual understanding of symbols, materials, and memories that enriches the conversation. The artists in this exhibition are not creating in isolation; they are engaging in a dialogue that builds upon one another’s histories and expressions.

This exhibition is more than just a showcase; it is a moment of profound connection and dialogue. It brings together voices that have long existed in these spaces, now in active conversation, deepening our understanding of both our collective and individual artistic expressions. It reminds us that by creating spaces for ourselves, we also create opportunities for future generations to see themselves reflected—to know that their experiences are valuable and to find strength in their own narratives.

Built on the foundation of community, our shared heritage informs everything we do. As a first-generation Mexican, it is crucial to hold to our culture and not lose faith in who we are. In a world that challenges our background, our color, and our beliefs every day, we must remember that our roots are our power. By nurturing this connection, we not only honor our past but also pave the way for a future where every narrative is celebrated.



Photography by Ely Dominguez