Muejeres de Juarez

Recently the Young Women's Caucus had the honor to go the Women's Caucus for Art conference in Chicago. We had a great weekend of information, gallery openings and symposiums. One of the galleries we had the privilege of visiting was the National Museum of Mexican Art. Here there was a emotionally moving exhibit titled Rastros y Cronicas: Women of Juarez. Below is the statement of the exhibit that can also be found on the Museum's website.


"Since 1993, more then 500 women have been killed
in Ciudad Juárez in the northern Mexican state of
Chihuahua. For some time now, Mexican and Mexican
American artists have been sensitive to the subject
of Women of Juarez and have worked on diverse
projects to share their perspective on this disturbing
situation. The thought provoking pieces throughout
the exhibition serve as a chronicle of the struggles of
Mexican women and the grievous deaths in Ciudad
Juárez. By generating awareness, the artwork supports
the cause of the victims’ families who search for justice
and truth. The artists of Rastros y Crónicas compel the
viewer to comprehend and sympathize with what the
victims endured and what the living continue to face.
In this way, our generation and future generations will
not forget or ignore the loss of life in Ciudad Juárez."

These Femicides have been going on now for 17 years. The news coverage of these murders has been minimal. In 2006 President Vicente Fox claimed that the majority of the murders had been solved and criticized the little press that did exist for exaggerating the story. In 2006 with the continuation of the murders gave rise to movies such as "Bordertown" and "The Virgin of Juarez". These movies were made to bring attention to the conflict, yet even with the increase of publicity, these murders seem to continue. Below is a video of the exhibit thanks to Truthful Enthusiasm and Matthew Cunningham.

Women of Juarez from Matthew Cunningham on Vimeo.