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Latinx in Rural Midwest consists of film and photography from Xavier Tavera as part of an ongoing series about the Latinx community and their unique historic tie to American land.

Latinx in Rural Midwest highlights the Latinx community and their unique, historic tie to American land. This piece is part of an ongoing series, whose goal is to showcase the essential role the Latinx community plays in the U.S. economy, specifically in the Midwest, often not seen by mainstream society.

About the Artist

Xavier Tavera is an immigrant from Mexico City, who learned firsthand what it felt like to be an outsider in a new place when he moved to the United States. These experiences of alienation helped transform Xavier’s photographs to focus on the lives of those who are marginalized.

His images have offered insight into the diversity of numerous communities and given a voice to those who are often invisible. Xavier has shown his work extensively in the Twin Cities, as well as nationally and internationally including Germany, Scotland, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay and China. His work is also part of the collections at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Plains Art Museum, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Minnesota History Center, Ramsey County Historical Society and the Weisman Art Museum. He is a recipient of the McKnight fellowship, Jerome Travel award, State Arts Board and Bronica scholarship.

About the Organization

In Progress has been promoting the voices of newly developing artists since its inception in 1996. Its purpose is to diversify cultural dialogue and pave the way for new voices in the field of digital art making.

“ I'm in photography to try to enter these different worlds that I might not belong to, and attempt with their stories and their willingness to tell these stories to attempt to understand.”

Xavier Tavera

Art In This Present Moment

This project is part of Art in This Present Moment, an initiative of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, with funding from the McKnight Foundation. We provided grants to three Minnesota-based nonprofit organizations to fund work by six BIPOC artists who are changing and challenging dominant narratives through their craft.

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