Galería Sin Fronteras is a Living Collection

Galería Sin Fronteras is a living collection initially established to showcase Latino artists who were leaders in developing an aesthetic that aimed to change society, politics, and the Latino community.

The collection is primarily US-Latino based but with connection to countries of origin throughout Mexico and Latin America. The collection includes fine art prints, posters, drawings, paintings, book arts, sculpture, ephemeral material, photographs, installations, portfolios, murals, fresco art, glass art, woven materials, and more. 

The collection is not an elitist art space, but one that serves the community.Founder and collector, Gilberto Cárdenas, was primarily interested in those artists who had been turned down and unappreciated by mainstream galleries. To be a part of the collection, Latino artists don’t have to water it down or change their work. They aren’t labeled as “folk art.” They are taken seriously and their importance is understood, documented, and upheld. Galería Sin Fronteras fills this gap so that artists can do their best work, sharpen their focus, and enhance their relevance and visibility. This is accomplished through commissioning, limited edition print, portfolios, involvement in fundraisers, and drawing attention to political causes.

Artist visibility is also enhanced by showcasing works, not just in one gallery space, but in many venues around the world; organizing traveling exhibitions; enabling other museums have available to communities; bring art into a variety of learning spaces; and inviting artists to talk. Further, a large portion of the collection includes writings by and about these artists and their art – their relationship to movements, catalogs for exhibitions. There is a strong body of support material that is available to the research community, high proportion of which are signed.

The collection is available for:

• Loan to Galleries and Museums
• Works for Sale
• Research
• Traveling Exhibitions for Rent
• Speaking Engagements

Mission & Vision

Galería Sin Fronteras is a space of our own, where Latino artists educate and impact our community and broader society through art. In order to highlight the value of Latino art and artists, the collection showcases them on their own terms. It addresses social & political issues, calls for cultural change, and impacts public consciousness around Latinos through art. It exists in many forms, as works have been donated or loaned to museums and institutions nationwide. For the broader community, the collection presents body of work to be viewed and appreciated as never before.

Philosophy of Collecting

“His idea of collecting is not one where he wants to amass a very valuable (monetary-wise) collection. The value, he sees, is what it represents to the artist and ultimately to the community.” – Cesáreo Moreno, Chief Curator, National Museum of Mexican Art

Gilberto Cárdenas likes to collect the artists as much as the artwork – to support them and have a body of work that illustrates their development and evolution, and to make sure there is enough to showcase their work in a one-person exhibit. He says:

“The artists I have a relationship with, collected, we work together. We work collectively on projects and political organizing. There’s a big body of work that I own that I helped the artists to create, getting financial support, to do project and thrive as artists.”