Aliento a Tequila exhibit opens May 2 at Branigan Cultural Center
The Branigan Cultural Center will host Aliento a Tequila, a bilingual photography exhibit opening May 2 that explores the traditional craft of tequila production in Mexico through the lens of Joel Salcido.
Photo series by Joel Salcido documents traditional tequila production in Jalisco, Mexico
Organ Mountain News report
LAS CRUCES - A new photography exhibition opening next month at the Branigan Cultural Center explores the landscape, culture and people behind one of Mexico’s most iconic spirits — tequila.
Aliento a Tequila, a traveling exhibition organized by ExhibitsUSA, will open Friday, May 2, and remain on view through Saturday, Aug. 9. The exhibit features 39 photographs by Texas-based photographer Joel Salcido, who spent time in Jalisco, Mexico, capturing scenes from agave fields, distilleries and artisanal tequileras dedicated to traditional methods of tequila making.
An opening reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. May 2 at the cultural center.
The exhibition includes vivid images of blue agave fields at sunset, distilleries that helped shape the industry, pineapple-shaped agave piñas being harvested, and añejos — aging rooms lined with barrels. Salcido also photographed agave farmers at work and religious and cultural traditions associated with tequila production.
“Aliento a Tequila celebrates a craft that is rooted deep in the culture of Mexico and connects viewers with the labor and place that produces this popular spirit,” according to organizers.
The exhibit’s bilingual panels — in Spanish and English — guide visitors through the tequila-making process and the historical and cultural context surrounding it. The show was curated by Roy L. Flukinger, Independent Curator Emeritus and former senior curator of photography at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin.
The Branigan Cultural Center is located at 501 N. Main St. and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free. The museum is accessible via Roadrunner Transit Route 1, Stop 1. More information is available at lascruces.gov/museums or by calling 575-541-2154.