In Celebration of the American Spirit, Boca Raton Museum of Art presents a Special Presentation & Workshop of American Flags by Mateo Blanco

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Mateo Blanco

Artist Mateo Blanco presents his work, July 4, 2020.

Boca Raton, FL - 2024 marks a pivotal year in American society and at the Boca Museum of Art as they celebrate their 75th anniversary. To ignite American spirit, the Museum proudly welcomes artist Mateo Blanco. Known for his unique renditions of the American flag using uncommon textiles and materials, Blanco will present another artistic twist on "Old Glory" at the Boca Raton Museum of Art in celebration of Labor Day. On Saturday, August 31, 2024, from 12:00 to 4:00 pm, Blanco will host an in-gallery workshop, Creation Station, where visitors are invited to create their own personalized American flag art.

Blanco’s new artwork Credit Flag, will be on view during Creation Station, which is crafted with 42 credit cards he has used over a span of 25 years. Visitors can meet and learn about his creative process before making their own flag-inspired artwork to take home. Creation Station is a drop-in art program for all ages to explore the visual arts, and is offered free with museum admission.

“Credit Flag has political, economic, social, and cultural meaning, but like everything in life, it depends on how you see things,” said Blanco. “On August 31, join me to create your own flag with your own point of view of our great nation.”

The Boca Raton Museum of Art has two other works by Mateo Blanco in its collection. July 4, 2020 is a flag created with pieces of fabric from Blanco’s clothing that he wore at his college graduation. Native Flag is a textile flag that represents the artist’s Colombian roots with native fabrics and dyes.

“Mateo’s artistic talents are in creating works that resonate with personal meaning,” said Irvin Lippman, Executive Director of the Boca Raton Museum of Art. “At first glance, Native Flag is an American flag with its stars and stripes. Upon closer inspection, it is a collage of handwoven fabrics in subtle pale colors made out of native plants from Colombia – a melding of cultures.”

The Boca Raton Museum of Art also has a personal meaning for Blanco. “I was a young man who visited the museum while I was studying at Florida Atlantic University,” he said. “I dreamed of exhibiting my art there. You can also make your dreams come true.”

About Mateo Blanco

Blanco was born in Miami in 1981 and began his formal training in fine art in Medellin, Colombia, where he studied under Débora Arango Pérez, the artist immortalized on the country’s 2,000-peso bill. Blanco’s studies include goldsmithing and jewelry. He holds a B.A. from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL. Blanco is also a talented opera performer, who sang for President George H.W. Bush in 2003. For more information or inquiries, visit his Instagram @mateoblancoart.

About Boca Raton Museum of Art

Founded by artists in 1950 as the Art Guild of Boca Raton, the Boca Raton Museum of Art has evolved into a vital cultural resource. The Museum's original building on Palmetto Park Road now serves as the Museum's Art School, nestled within a 3-acre sculpture park. In 2001, the Museum was provided land in Mizner Park, a mixed-use area in downtown Boca Raton. Designed by Donald Singer, the current Museum facility, with its bold volumes and emblematic design, reflects the spirit of Addison Mizner's Mediterranean Revival architecture of the 1920s that provided an indelible mark on Boca Raton. Located in Palm Beach County, the Museum attracts visitors from a wide range of regions, with nearly 50% being cultural tourists from drive markets or out-of-state, underscoring the appeal of its reputation, quality of programs, and supporting the Museum’s mission to be a vital cultural resource dedicated to the creative life.