March 29, 2022 – July 9, 2022
‘Accomplish More Than I Have’
In the newest exhibition at the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience, we invite you to celebrate family. Frank Estrada, a Memphis native and transplant to Oxford, Mississippi, created the Family Legacy exhibition as a tribute to his father, whom he credits with pushing him to be the best person and artist he can be. Linocut portraits feature family members, capturing their emotions, telling their stories with their faces.
Estrada created art as a child, but never thought he’d pursue it as a career. His life changed when he took a printmaking class at the University of Mississippi. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in printmaking and a Bachelor of Arts in sociology, and is in the process of earning his Master of Science in integrated marketing communication. With his knowledge of art and sociology, Estrada creates relief prints that explore and question the experience of a first-generation American.
Estrada’s artwork has been displayed throughout the country and has received several honors. He was the featured artist at Oxford’s Double Decker Arts Festival in 2015 and received a Mississippi Arts Commission Visual Arts Fellowship Grant in 2016. He creates imagery from his Mexican heritage and Southern upbringing, ranging in theme from immigration and the Day of the Dead to cotton fields and blues artist B.B. King.
Family Legacy, which opens March 29, combines traditional printmaking with digital illustration through augmented reality (AR). Visitors scan a QR code to initiate the AR experience, moving their camera over the artwork to see family members’ stories come to life.
“I love what Family Legacy stands for – love and appreciation of family,” said Stacey Peralta, Curator of Exhibitions at The MAX. “Just the sheer amount of detail put into the portraits shows that this exhibit is truly a labor of love.” The exhibition is on display at The MAX from March 29-July 9, 2022.
Related programming: Block Printing with Frank Estrada, June 4, 2022, 1-3 pm
Block printing is a relief printing technique that uses a carved material to transfer ink onto paper or fabric, much like a stamp. Estrada will lead a workshop on how to create a linocut, a print created by carving a linoleum block. Limited capacity. Registration required.
Admission to the special exhibit is free with regular museum admission. The MAX is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 am-5 pm. The museum is located at the corner of Sela Ward Parkway (22nd Avenue) and Front Street, overlooking the railroad at the edge of Meridian’s historic downtown. Street parking is available, with shops and restaurants within walking distance. For more information visit msarts.org or call 601-581-1550.