The art exhibition features 18 works by children from the Escuela Sociodeportiva of the Fundación Carlos F. Novella in San Juan Sacatepéquez, resulting from a sensitization module focused on preventing irregular migration.
Guatemala, May 20, 2024. The traveling exhibition “Horizons: A Child’s View on Migration” will be displayed at the National Museum of Maya Art, Archaeology, and Ethnology from May 21 to June 18, Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 7 pm. This initiative was born after the Fundación Carlos F. Novella conducted the Leadership and Empowerment Module, focused on preventing irregular migration, for the families of children and youth from the Sociodeportiva School in San Juan Sacatepéquez in 2023. This initiative was supported by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Real Madrid Foundation.
“A child’s perception of migration can be filled with curiosity, empathy, and possibly some uncertainty. Some may see it as an adventure, while others may understand it as a difficult situation for those who must leave their homes,” said Víctor Ayala, Executive Director of the Carlos F. Novella Foundation. “It is crucial to educate children, youth, and adults on this issue in a comprehensive and empathetic manner, which is why we join these efforts,” he concluded.
The workshop was attended by 26 children and adolescents aged 6 to 14, during 6 work sessions. Each session was divided into a theoretical and a practical part. In the first part, information about migration and its implications was provided. In the second part, various plastic techniques were taught, including drawing with crayons and tempera, addressing themes such as chiaroscuro, freehand drawing, and portraiture, in addition to exploring the most relevant artistic movements.
After the workshops, the children expressed their new knowledge and emotions by putting them on paper, thus offering a personal view on migration, a phenomenon that affects many Guatemalan families.
About the Fundación Carlos F. Novella
It is a private, non-profit, and apolitical institution. They develop various social investment programs promoting the progress of Guatemalans.
About the Carlos F. Novella Museum
It protects, promotes, and projects the industrial, cultural, and intangible heritage of Progreso and the Novella family.Protege, promueve y proyecta el patrimonio industrial, cultural e intangible de Progreso y la familia Novella.