Art exhibits

Stardust and fluff and odd things you could not have heard of

Invitation for event. Black background with gold border. Title, "Stardust and fluff and off things you could not have heard of" is in a yellow font in a circle in the middle. Inside the title are six colorful beetles ina circle and a larger one in the middle. Above the title are the artists, Mandamoonie and Gender Non-Compliant Poetry. Below the title are the opening night details: May 30, 7-10pm, Cactus Valley Art, 305 W. Van Buren, Harlingen, TX

Images of various art pieces. Top left: Painting of five sunflowers, each with one large eye in the middle, on a pale blue background with flowing ribbons of blue, white, and yellow surrounding them. A poem flows with the ribbons and reads: Stunflowers They see and know turning with warmth following as it radiates gazing with LOVE as we flounder through pain. Top right: black and white image of a person merged with a tree Middle left: painting of a face in various shades of blue Middle right: painting of an orange kitten resting on some greenery Bottom left: Art Show • August 13 Opening Reception 6-8pm Featured Artists: Guy Duke • Mandamoonie (Amanda Rodriguez) Natalia Garcia • Gianna Javier Rebekah Gomez Bottom right: black and white image of a human silhouette with the sun behind and long rays extending from it on a beach landscape.

Shown from May 30 to June 21, 2025, at Cactus Valley Art, Harlingen, TX and from August 13 to November 15, 2025, at Kreative Grounds Cafe, McAllen, TX.

This installation was created to bring together multiple forms of artistry to visually express the impact of community, the journey of finding/rediscovering oneself, transformation, and empowerment through self-actualization. The inspiration for most pieces created is the relation of natural beings and the human experience, physical manifestations of inner feelings, and the connections we’ve made as a result of meeting/being present and making memories within the safe spaces created. The themes of these pieces range from explorations of the most raw and darkest parts of ourselves (the complexity of emotions and societal experiences), while also exploring more lighthearted themes related to our inner child and connections with others. We hope that people who see our work can relate and know that they are not alone. There is community, there is light within the dark, there is acceptance and connection to be found when we reveal our most authentic selves despite how daunting it can seem, and despite how vast and multi-faceted our identities may be. This show is not only a love letter to every version of ourselves and the things we have yet to uncover, but also to those who we’ve been lucky to share our most authentic selves with.

Click each image for details.

Postcards from tomorrow

Part of an exhibit called Postcards from Tomorrow, put together by Joey Gonzalez IV, displayed at Cactus Valley Art in Harlingen, TX, in July, 2024. They feature notes written by a future version of myself, sent to present-day me as affirmations about newly recognized identities.

The postcards without the personal messages are available for purchase here.