In the Wake of Juarez

Using the remarkable graffito drawings of artist Alice Leora Briggs, this guide reviews the sociocultural context of Ciudad Juárez, explores the violence inescapably evident in the city, and considers how students can personally identify with global issues through the medium of art Common Core-based curriculum strategies encourage students to engage with Briggs' artwork on personal and analytical levels. This material was developed in partnership with the UNM Art Museum and was based on the Art Museum's Spring 2013 exhibit of the same name. For more information, see the complete table of contents.

Curriculum

The complete guide is available for downloading or previewing. We have also separated the individual lessons plans (below) for quick reference.

• Background
  • Introduction
  • Curator Statement
  • Curriculum Overview
• Curriculum Materials
  • Analysis of El Cholito
  • Analysis of Altar Parsioneros
  • Current Events, Historical Events, and Artistic Representations
  • Odes to Juárez: Place-Based Poetry with Benjamin Alire Sáenz and Alice Leora Briggs
• About Juárez
  • Violence in Juárez
  • Beyond the Violence in Juárez
  • About President Calderón
• Supplementary Resources
• Reference Images

Complementary Resources

• Alice Leora Brigg's official website
• At the workshop, one of the participants mentioned a recent article in the NYTimes, "Outside the Citadel, Social Practice Art is Intended to Nurture." This article proves relevant to the discussion of the intersection of art and politics, and how to guide students toward thinking of art as a transformative, social justice practice.
• LAII materials for Teaching About the U.S.-Mexico Border