By: Petra Itzel
It is a hot summer day when I drop off my art at the Art and Culture Center in the heart of downtown Eagle Pass. I feel like a productive, cool artist because for once I am turning in my artwork on time. For a lifelong procrastinator who usually submits pieces an hour before the deadline, this feels like a huge victory. Today, I feel proud as I hand in two artworks days before they are due.
As I walk through the museum, I am transported back to 2018 when I first began my art journey. Back then, I never imagined that in 2025 I would have two of my artworks on display in my hometown. Little me could not have imagined this moment. Yet here I am, doing it for her. My younger self continues to inspire me, especially in pieces like my collage Yo Soy de Rancho.
Looking around the gallery, I am in awe of the talent surrounding me. From the Valley to Piedras Negras to other border towns, our culture is unmistakable, vivid, colorful, and powerful. Seeing all of our artworks together felt like witnessing a collective story unfold, our story.
One of my pieces on display, My Last Birthday in Piedras Negras, brought me peace. It captures my 10th birthday, the last time my whole family celebrated together. To transform such a memory into art, drawn from old photographs and love for my community, is something deeply meaningful to me. I made it. Yo soy de Rancho.
A memorable moment from the opening came when someone asked me about my self-portrait Ni de Aquí Ni de Allá. I explained that it explores duality, the constant balance of life and death, night and day, and the beauty that arises when opposites meet. I also shared how I incorporated symbols from my Mexica heritage, such as the eyes and the moon. Being able to talk about the layers of meaning behind my work, and to share this with others, felt incredibly fulfilling.
What made the event even more special was seeing our community engage with the arts while meeting so many talented artists. It was the kind of experience my younger self always dreamed of. And here we are in Eagle Pass in 2025, celebrating our culture, promoting the arts, and creating spaces for creativity to thrive.
I am deeply grateful to the Border Artist Society and the Art and Culture Center for hosting events like this. You give hope to future artists and help keep our culture alive. Let us continue creating, sharing, and coming together.
Thank you, and remember: you are loved.
