Latina Voces Brings High School Student Art, Dance to Krannert Art Museum

The exhibition extended across all areas of KAM, transforming the space into a multi-sensory experience that centered Latino youth voices. The event featured student artwork alongside live performances, including folklórico dancing and music from Urbana High School’s mariachi program, the Mariachi Tigres de Urbana.

The exhibition also represents a multi-year collaboration between KAM, University faculty, and local educators, supported by grant funding. 

Rachel Storm, assistant director of community engagement and learning at KAM, said the exhibition reflects the museum’s commitment to uplifting local student stories.

“We think it’s really important for a museum of this caliber to be showcasing our local students,” Storm said. “For us, it also represents a really important effort to showcase local stories and to make sure local students not only visit the museum and see works of art that inspire them, but also that they are able to share their own stories through creative making on their own.” 

Faculty facilitators of the University also emphasized the importance of building trust throughout the process.

Idalia Nuñez, associate professor in Curriculum & Instruction said her role was less about directing and more about guiding conversations within Urbana High School students and their families.

“This was very much about building ‘confianza,’” Nuñez said. “Our role was to help them think about what they wanted to share with the community about themselves and to give them the tools to do that.”

As the program concluded, attendees gathered to share food while Latin music played throughout the museum, creating space for students, families, and community members to connect beyond the performances and artwork. 

This is an excerpt from an article originally published in The Daily Illini.