About Arte de Lágrimas

Arte de Lágrimas uses art to tell the human story of the refugee Central American children and youth crossing the Texas-Mexico border. Arte de Lágrimas began in 2014 as a response to the increasing numbers of young migrants being apprehended and detained at the border. Many of these children and youth had traveled for weeks by bus, train, van, and foot to reach the United States. Along the way, they survived violence, lack of food and water, and separation from family. Upon arrival in the United States, most migrants presented themselves to Border Patrol agents and were then detained under harsh conditions with freezing temperatures, overcrowded accommodations, and poor nourishment. When they were finally released from detention, many migrants found their way to respite centers run by nonprofits. There, they could find transportation to their final destinations in the United States.

Nohemi and Rev. Dr. Gregory Cuéllar founded Arte de Lágrimas as a means of enabling young migrants to express themselves through visual art. Starting in August of 2014, they led multiple groups of volunteers to respite centers in border towns such as McAllen, Brownsville, and Eagle Pass. At these respite centers, they distributed art supplies to children who were waiting for buses that would take them to their final destinations. If a child asked what they should draw, volunteers directed them to “Draw your house” or “Draw your journey.” Some children later chose to give their artworks to the volunteers. These artworks have become the Arte de Lágrimas collection, which can be viewed digitally here.

Since its founding, Arte de Lágrimas has exhibited the art created by these refugee children at numerous theological schools and churches across the United States. By taking these artworks to different places around the country, we seek to elevate the creative expressions of migrants and to challenge dehumanizing depictions of immigrants in the United States. Many of the pieces in our collection reflect their creators’ encounters with God during their journey to the US and their dreams of a future in which all of God’s children have opportunities to thrive. It is our hope that this project may inspire its viewers to learn more about the experiences of migrants and to work for immigration justice in their communities.