Kimball Art Center

Park City, Utah Art Center

the YARD

People of Corn / Gente de Maiz with Artist in Residence–Jorge Rojas


June 23, 2021 – September 19, 2021
Admission: FREE


The Kimball Art Center names Jorge Rojas inaugural artist-in-residence. Kimball Art Center’s artist-in-residence program supports artists of diverse ages, backgrounds, and disciplines in the exploration and expansion of their creative practices and the production of new bodies of work. 

For more than 10 years, much of Rojas’s sculptural and performance work has celebrated the spiritual significance of corn in cultures throughout the Americas. During a two-month residency, Rojas will add to this body of work, using it as a platform for public engagement and creative collaboration.

People of Corn / Gente de Maiz emerges from the artist’s long standing desire to transform museums into more inclusive spaces. Here, he invites all of us to step out of our usual roles as observers and become integral participants or co-creators in this project. Creating an artwork inspired by his Latino roots and based on creating shared experiences with the community, Rojas hopes to establish a space for meaningful and lasting cross-cultural exchange.

Programming begins June 23 and continues on select dates through August 28. The exhibition of the community-created artwork will open August 12 for Kimball Art Center Members and August 13 for the public. This program is supported by Mell & Kieran Gallahue, Carol & Will Hodgman, Debby & Rob Schiller and Mary & Scott Wieler.

Artist-In-Residence Programming

We Are People of Corn / Somos Gente de Maíz

In conjunction with Artist-in-Residence Jorge Rojas’ community art project Gente de Maíz / People of Corn, the Kimball Art Center has partnered with Artes de México en Utah, Utah Humanities, and Park City Library to present We Are People of Corn / Somos Gente de Maíz, a series of interactive classes, talks, readings, art making and meal sharing. The series will take place in August and September and invites the community to explore the meaning and cultural importance of corn to indigenous peoples of the Americas.

This series of classes is funded by Utah Division of Arts and Museums, Utah Humanities, and Park City Library, with additional support from Holy Cross Ministries in Park City. 

Created in partnership with Utah Division of Arts and Museums, Artes de México en Utah, Utah Humanities, and Park City Library. 

Born from Corn: The Soul of the Americas 

  • Wednesday, August 4 | 6:30-8:00 pm | FREE
  • In person at Kimball Art Center
  • Arrive early for refreshments 

Corn is indigenous to the Americas and is included in the creation stories of the Choctaw, the Cherokees, the Keres, the Zuni, the Seminole, the Shoshone, the Aztecs, the Maya, and many others. It was of great interest to the people who came to the Americas from Europe and has become one of the main foods consumed in the U.S. Join us as we explore the meaning and cultural legacy of corn to the indigenous peoples of the Americas through presentations, dialogue, and art making for the entire family. 

Presenters: 

  • Fanny Blauer – Executive Director, Artes de México en Utah 
  • Franci Taylor – Director of the American Indian Resource Center, U of U
  • Jorge Rojas – Artist, Curator, Educator

Fanny Blauer – Executive Director, Artes de México en Utah 

Fanny Guadalupe is from Mexico City, she graduated from the Instituto Politecnico Nacional as a Certified Public Accountant, Fanny also holds a certification of an Anthropology of Art diploma from the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of Social Anthropology (CIESAS). As an immigrant, Fanny has developed a great interest in valuing the cultural diversity of Mexico in the United States and as such, she is the creator of projects that actively involve members of the community with the main purpose of acknowledging individual cultural values and practices.  Fanny serves as a translator and interpreter at the Natural History Museum of Utah and she is an active participant in the diversity and inclusion committees for different organizations Fanny is part of the National Leadership Project for Peer Alliance Gender and Equity managed by the Science Museum of Minnesota.

Franci Taylor – Director of the American Indian Resource Center, University of Utah

Franci L. Taylor earned a B.F.A., B.S. and M.A in Anthropology/Sociology/Native American Studies at Montana State University. She earned her Ph.D. in American Indian Studies through the Faculty of Archaeology program at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. As a mother of two, grandmother of five, and auntie to many, Franci (Choctaw, she/her) has always wanted the best for others. She has dedicated the last 25 years towards increasing access for all under-represented students and American Indians by teaching American Indian Studies and Culture locally, nationally, and internationally at all educational levels. She has worked on creating American Indian curriculum for public schools. At present she is a cross-cultural consultant for University Health Sciences and the Director of the American Indian Resource Center at University of Utah. She sits on several national Indian Education boards and is a participating member of the United Nations Indigenous Peoples Permanent Forum. She is a traditional dancer, bead and Quill worker, and has several art portfolios at galleries in Europe.

Jorge Rojas – Artist, Curator, Educator

Jorge Rojas is a multidisciplinary artist, independent curator, and educator from Morelos, Mexico. He studied Art at the University of Utah and at Bellas Artes in

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Rojas uses performance, visual art, and social engagement to examine cultural, social, and mediated forms of communication. His art and curatorial projects have been exhibited in galleries, museums, and other national and international venues. From 2015 to 2021, Rojas served as director of learning and engagement at Utah Museum of Fine Arts where he oversaw education, community engagement, and public programming initiatives. Rojas is actively involved in the Salt Lake City community as an artist, educator, curator, consultant, and is a passionate advocate for advancing racial and cultural justice through the arts.

Nacidos del Maíz: El Alma de las Américas (en Español)

  • Wednesday, August 11 | 6:30-8:00 pm | GRATIS
  • En persona en el Kimball Art Center
  • Se servirán bocadillos a quien llegue temprano

Presentadores: 

  • Fanny Blauer – Directora Ejecutiva, Artes de México en Utah 
  • Jorge Rojas – Artista

El maíz es autóctono de América y aparece en los relatos de la creación de los cherokees, los keres, los zuni, los seminoles, los shoshone, los aztecas, los mayas y muchos otros. Fue de gran interés para quienes llegaron a América desde Europa y se ha convertido en uno de los principales alimentos consumidos en los EE.UU. Acompáñenos mientras exploramos el significado y el legado cultural del maíz para los pueblos indígenas de América a través de presentaciones, diálogo y creación de arte para toda la familia.

Fanny Blauer – Directora Ejecutiva, Artes de México en Utah 

Fanny es graduada del Instituto Politécnico Nacional de la carrera de contador público, también cuenta con una certificación de Antropología del Arte expedido por CIESAS. Como migrante, Fanny ha desarrollado un gran interés en la valoración de la diversidad cultural de México en los Estados Unidos y como tal es creadora de proyectos que involucran activamente a miembros de la comunidad con el objetivo de visibilizar y reconocer la voz y la multiculturalidad de los mexicanos en el estado de Utah. Fanny también es traductora e intérprete cultural del Museo de Historia Natural de Utah y líder participante de la iniciativa nacional IPAGE (Peer Alliance Gender and Equity por sus siglas en inglés)

Jorge Rojas – Artista, Curador, Educador

Nacido en Morelos, México, Jorge Rojas es un artista multidisciplinario, curador y educador de arte. Estudió Arte en la Universidad de Utah y en Bellas Artes en San Miguel de Allende, México. Rojas está interesado en el arte de performance por su capacidad para unir las personas, así como para provocar el compromiso público, las acción y la colaboración creativa. El trabajo y los proyectos curatoriales de Rojas se han exhibido en galerías y museos en los Estados Unidos e internacionalmente. Entre 2015 y 2021, Rojas fue director de aprendizaje y participación en el UMFA (Museo de Bellas Artes en Utah), donde superviso todas las iniciativas de educación, alcance comunitario y programación para adultos de museo. Rojas participa activamente en la comunidad de Salt Lake City como artista, educador, curador y esta dedicado al avance de la justicia racial y cultural a través de las artes.

Cooking with Corn / Cocinando con Maíz 

  • Wednesday, August 25 | 6:30-8:00 pm | FREE
  • In person at Kimball Art Center
  • An evening of cooking demonstrations and food sharing

Maíz/Maize originated in the central region of Mexico, from where it spread to the rest of the Americas. There is evidence that the predominant cultures in Mexico that brought corn to other cultures and regions also brought with them dishes and ways of cooking it. Join us for an evening of cooking demonstrations, storytelling, and food sharing with Mexican and Navajo culinary experts.

Presenters: 

  • Irene Sanchez (Guerrero, Mexico / Park City) – Will demonstrate how to prepare traditional Milpa Tamales from Guerrero, Mexico.
  • TBD

Jorge Rojas: Artist Talk

  • Thursday, September 2nd | 6:30-8:00 pm | FREE
  • In person at Kimball Art Center
  • Zoom – Click here to register (Link coming shortly)

For more than 10 years, multidisciplinary artist Jorge Rojas has used performance, installation, and social practice to celebrate the spiritual significance of corn in cultures throughout the Americas. Rojas will talk about his project People of Corn / Gente de Maíz where he invited the community to co-create an installation at Kimball Art Center inspired by his own cultural roots and indigenous creation stories around corn. Through this project, Rojas hopes to establish a space for meaningful and lasting cross-cultural exchange.

Stories of Maize / Historias de Maíz

Presented as part of the Utah Humanities Book Festival

  • Wednesday, September 15 | 6:30-8:00 pm | FREE
  • In person at Kimball Art Center
  • Zoom – Click here to register (Link coming shortly)
  • Arrive early for refreshments
  • More information to come.

Utah Humanities Book Festival:

The Book Festival is a statewide marathon of book-related programming featuring hundreds of events for Utahans of all kinds. Follow us on IG/Twitter @utahbookfest to keep up with the latest events. 

This event is part of the 24th annual Utah Humanities Book Festival. This annual free festival is the Utah Humanities’ gift to the community, allowing us to explore all sorts of ideas by interacting with great writers. The complete program is available at www.utahhumanities.org.

Our thanks to the Book Festival’s major sponsors: George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation, Summit County RAP, The Charles Redd Center for Western Studies, The King’s English Bookshop, Weller Book Works, The National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts.