From May 10th through May 26th, Christ Church Winnetka is hosting the Uncaged Art Exhibit at Christ Church Winnetka Chapel, 470 Maple Street, Winnetka IL, 60093. The exhibit is comprised of beautiful and inspiring artwork by the children held in the Tornillo, TX Detention Center that opened on June 14, 2018. Over the eight months of its operation, 6,200 children were held in tents in Tornillo, a small border town. Tornillo came to symbolize the mass detention of migrant children. A group of teachers visited the youngsters, inviting them to express their pride in their countries of origin through art, and the children produced 200 pieces of art. When the Tornillo detention center closed, officials began throwing out the artwork. A local Catholic priest recovered 29 pieces, and later stated, "What came through in the art was the strong spirit of these young men and women…who, even under those conditions, were still inspired to do something beautiful."
            The exhibit is sponsored by the Sanctuary Task Force, Anti-racism Commission, Hispanic Affairs Committee, and Peace & Justice Committee. It has appeared in the Southwest, California and is now touring the Midwest at churches, non-profits, schools and libraries. The goal is to share the experience of immigrant detention, particularly of children, through art. It is free and open to the public. The opening reception will be on Friday, May 9 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The exhibit will be open every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 10-May 25. The last day of the exhibit will be on Monday, May 26, Memorial Day, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  It is part of the Episcopal Church’s efforts to replace immigrant detention and electronic monitoring with the use of community based supportive services.
    “Uncaged Art from the Tornillo Detention Camp” is curated by Dr. David Romo and Dr. Yolanda Chávez Leyva, directors of Museo Urbano, University of Texas at El Paso. Photographs ©Frontera Studio Graphic design by Amy Briones, Centennial Museum, University of Texas at El Paso.