September 3, 2004

Riverside, CA - Beatriz Mejia-Krumbein, chair of the La Sierra University art department and associate professor of art, recently exhibited her work, Suite of Silence, in her home country of Colombia, August 5-28, at the Art Center of the Public Library in Medellin, Colombia.

“In 1998 while visiting my family in Colombia I was inspired to express my feelings on the violence there, so I created the Suite of Silence,” says Mejia-Krumbein. “It was time to show the art in the place where the inspiration came from. This was my first time to exhibit art in my hometown and I was scared of the reaction. But people were touched that the work was about their problems. They said finally an artist dealing with fear and hope to break the silence of the fearful and displaced in Colombia.”

While in Colombia Mejia-Krumbein also went to local schools to talk to children, led tours of her exhibit, and built an installation about the Colombians who have been displaced due to violence. “So many people are homeless and beg and live in the streets,” says Mejia-Krumbein. “My exhibit was so intense and emotional.”

Mejia-Krumbein donated two pieces from the Suite of Silence to organizations in Colombia. El Rostro was given to the Colombia Library system, where it will travel each year to a new library branch. She also donated Mute Muse to the state museum where it will be on permanent display. “I gave the museum Colombian rights to the copyright so they can sell items and promote the piece,” says Mejia-Krumbein. Mute Muse has also been featured in the book “Responding to Art – Form, Content, and Context” by Robert Bersson, McGraw Hill NY, 2003, 616-617.

Mejia-Krumbein temporarily left the rest of the 18-piece Suite of Silence in Colombia to be available for future exhibits. She just completed the Suite this year with the painting Breaking the Silence. “It is the only piece where the subject’s mouth is open,” says Mejia-Krumbein.

Last summer while visiting family, Mejia-Krumbein’s cousin had arranged for meetings with leaders of art organizations which led to her invitation to exhibit at the public library. The Suite of Silence has been on display at Weslyn College, Drake University, the Riverside Art Museum, New York, New Mexico, Miami, Florida and in Los Angeles.