For the next week, visitors to the World Beat Gallery in Salem will find oil snapshots depicting decades of Latino families who made their way to Oregon.
It’s a life’s work for Salem artist Dagoverto Benavidez. His exhibit, titled “Place, Tradition, and Tranquility,” will be on display through Sept. 11.
Benavidez will speak about his exhibit and the heritage reflected in his art during a reception at the gallery on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 6:30 p.m.
A portion of the 10-piece collection focuses on the cultural roots of Latino Oregonians. One piece he painted in the late 1970s reflects the summers he spent on his uncle’s farm in Mexico
“It was beautiful, very peaceful. I remember big skies full of stars,” he said.
Another painting titled “The Strawberry Picker” shows a migrant worker by the strawberry fields in the Silverton Hills, sitting in front of a cloth and eating his lunch. Etched in the sky is an image of him extending his hand up to a silver spoon. “Everybody’s reaching for that better life,” Benavidez said.
To the left of the man sit two outhouses, symbolizing how some migrants were treated, he said.
Other paintings in the exhibit are just meant to inspire a sense of peace — Latino children hitting a piñata with a Mount Hood backdrop, a scenic country drive through Stayton, lily pads atop a moonlit lake and a long, white swan.
“This collection explores the relationship of accumulated experiences between where you are, the traditions and customs you bring with you, and the natural beauty found in every moment,” according to the World Beat’s website. “Each work brings a personal narrative to life showcasing the painter’s portrayal of different facets of his experiences.”
The World Beat Gallery at 390 Liberty St. S.E. is open Wednesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays by appointment.
Benavidez said he hopes people leave the exhibit feeling serene and at ease.
He has been periodically painting almost his entire life, but picked it back up during the pandemic after he retired from his job as a court advocate manager on the last day of 2019.
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
