Assemblage
Gil Rocha - Coyotes en la Ciudad
featuring work by Marianne Lettieri, Christopher Blay, and Gil Rocha
July 6th thru September 14, 2024Assemblage explores the art of collecting, arranging, and reinterpreting objects to tell complex, layered stories. This group exhibition brings together Marianne Lettieri, Christopher Blay, and Gil Rocha—three dynamic artists whose work highlights themes of identity, memory, and cultural shifts. Through an eclectic range of media, including found objects, instruments, scrap metals, wood, ephemera and collage in unexpected combinations.-"Assemblage" invites viewers to reflect on the connections between personal narratives and collective histories.
Each artist in this exhibition brings a unique voice: Lettieri focuses on memory and ritual through discarded items, Blay addresses social and political themes with symbolic installations, and Rocha blends pop culture with historical imagery to critique contemporary issues. Together, their works create a thought-provoking dialogue on how meaning evolves through materials, time, and context.
Marianne Lettieri, -Swing Low Sweet Chariiot
Christopher Blay- Instrument Panel #1
Featured Artists:
Marianne Lettieri creates evocative mixed media installations using historical and found materials. Her work reflects the intersections between personal memory and community, using objects that explore social systems and cultural values. With exhibitions across the U.S. and internationally, including at the San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design and the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, Lettieri has garnered significant recognition. Her art emphasizes how human beings mark time and preserve identity through objects and traditions. She holds an MFA in Spatial Arts from San Jose State University and a BFA in Drawing and Printmaking from the University of Florida.
Marianne Lettieri
Christopher Blay
Christopher Blay is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice includes installation, video, and photography, often addressing race, identity, and social justice. A former curator of the Houston Museum of African American Culture, Blay is known for blending bold symbolism with critical commentary on cultural and political narratives. His installations invite viewers to rethink societal constructs through both humor and stark realism, using recognizable icons and materials to disrupt conventional narratives.
Gil Rocha draws from his upbringing in the border town of Laredo, Texas, to create mixed media artworks that blend elements of history, politics, and pop culture. His work often critiques the blurred identities and cultural hybridity of border life, using repurposed everyday materials to reflect themes of resilience and transformation. With exhibitions spanning museums and galleries across Texas and beyond, Rocha’s practice serves as a dynamic exploration of the intersection of personal and political identity.