Press Release

Tucson Museum of Art celebrates the role of found objects as artistic source material of the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands

Tucson, AZ – Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block presents Ya Hecho: Readymade in the Borderlands (July 3 – November 30, 2025) guest curated by Rigoberto Luna.

This exhibition features contemporary artists living and working from both sides of the United States-Mexico border while focusing on the significance of materials and place in art-making practices. Gesturing towards the Chicano sensibilities of rasquachismo—a legacy of resourcefulness born from necessity—blended with the European and American tradition of the readymade, these artists’ transform mass-produced and found objects to explore themes of land and labor, movement and migration, materiality of place, and beyond borders.

Anne Breckenridge Barrett, TMA’s Jon and Linda Ender Director and CEO reflects, “This exhibition powerfully embodies the Tucson Museum of Art’s mission to connect art to life. Ya Hecho explores how artists engage in making through personal conceptual practice using found objects—welcoming a dialogue around lived experience in the Borderlands. TMA has a longstanding commitment to collecting contemporary and Latin American art, making this a meaningful addition to our ongoing focus on art of our region and its far-reaching impact.”

The exhibition amplifies the contributions of Latinx artists from the Southwest while highlighting shared approaches to storytelling, art-making, and cross-cultural exchanges. Featuring 42 artworks by 18 artists made over the last 20 years, Ya Hecho evokes the landscape and cultural aesthetic of the Borderlands through sculpture and installation deeply rooted in personal experiences and historical narratives.

Guest curator Rigoberto Luna reflects, “This exhibition is important because the works emerge from the social and material realities of Borderland communities—it is both personal and about an important creative moment. Mobilizing everyday materials—cardboard, produce bags, truck parts—these artists engage in transformative acts. Through resourcefulness and care, they reveal that what is often overlooked or discarded can hold the deepest meaning about who we are.”

By inventively synthesizing found and familiar objects, artists in Ya Hecho create a language of possibility rooted in materials, bridging personal associations with complex diasporic themes—conveying histories of labor, migration, survival, and resilience.

Ya Hecho includes the artwork of: Andrés Caballero and Vanessa Saavedra, Margarita Cabrera, María José Crespo. Federico Cuatlacuatl, Raúl De Lara, Verónica Gaona, Gloria Martinez-Granados, Narsiso Martinez, Sophia Mayorga, Rubén Ulises Rodríguez Montoya, Lorena Ochoa, Daisy Quezada Ureña, Gil Rocha, Miriam Salado, Vicente Telles, José Villalobos, and Judi Werthein. Also featured in the exhibition are poems by Tucson-based Diana Marie Delgado, Gabriel Dozal, Melani “Mele” Martinez, and Logan Phillips, which expands on main themes.

Images available here.

Exhibition Details:

Ya Hecho: Readymade in the Borderlands, July 3 – November 30, 2025
On view in the James J. and Louise R. Glasser Galleries, and Earl Kai Chann Gallery

Ya Hecho: Readymade in the Borderlands is accompanied by a full-color catalogue to be published by the Tucson Museum of Art with essays, poetry, and artist statements, which will be available in the fall.

TMA will host related public activities which will focus on the importance of place and offer many opportunities to engage with the artwork and key themes, including:

• In Conversation: Ya Hecho: Readymade in the Borderlands
  Thursday, July 3, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.
  Celebrate the opening of Ya Hecho: Readymade in the Borderlands with a panel discussion featuring guest curator Rigoberto Luna with artists María José Crespo and Gil Rocha. For more information and to register click here.
• Artist Talk: Vicente Telles
  Saturday, November 1, 2025 at 11:00 a.m.
  Artist Vicente Telles will share insights on his artistic practice that ranges from traditional retablos to contemporary pieces as well as his works in Ya Hecho: Readymade in the Borderlands. For more information and to register click here.

Follow this link for more information about upcoming programs.

Ya Hecho: Readymade in the Borderlands is made possible by: Lead Sponsor The Terra Foundation for American Art, Presenting Sponsor TMA Latin American Art Patrons, and Supporting Sponsor Bank of America. Additional support from voco Tuxon an IHG Hotel.

The 2025/2026 Exhibition Season at TMA is presented by Louise Glasser and Kit and Dan Kimball.

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Museum Hours:

Wednesday – Sunday
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Click here for more information.

About the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block
As an institution built upon the original territories of the O’odham, the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block (TMA) acknowledges the Indigenous Sonoran Desert communities, past and present, who have stewarded this region throughout generations.

The Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block (TMA) connects art to life through meaningful and engaging experiences that inspire discovery, spark creativity, and promote cultural understanding. TMA is committed to developing quality exhibitions, caring for its collection, providing arts education, presenting relevant and innovative programs, and broadening public access to the arts. As this institution enters its second century of serving communities of Southern Arizona and beyond, its varied collections, interpretative programs, and exhibitions exemplify the museum’s regionality by reflecting multiple perspectives, histories, and cultures as well as highlighting global influences and ideas.

TMA’s campus includes five historically significant buildings, an art education center and research library, the Museum Store, and the highly acclaimed museum restaurant Café a la C’Art.

TMA is a private 501(c)(3) charitable arts and education organization. For additional information visit TucsonMuseumofArt.org or call (520) 624-2333.

Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block. 140 N Main Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701