Gradients: Representation, Accommodation, and Holding Space

Flyer by Latifah @lati_khuff

If I remember correctly Gradients was at first a concept brought up and began growing throughout the years of 2019, 2020, 2024 and finally the grand opening reception on March 5th, 2026. From the big red G to now the full illustrated logo and a room full of artists.

The artists involve:

Mira Cantu @mira_field

Sebastian Nieto

Dora Gonzalez @weblightdreams

Isadora Ochoa

Abigail Vela @eyeonavi

Tabatha Colchado @tabathacolchado

Abdias Abdiel @abdiasabdielsalazar

Teressa Escamilla

Gradient Members:

Alejandra @44waterlilies the Cutural Assistant

Damaris @daaaaydreeam the Gradients Curator

As mention in 2024 Dama shared that she has been given the opportunity to curate an exhibition. The open call came in 2025. The full show in 2026. While hmm it has been a 2 year work in progress. The show has been up for 2 weeks since March 5th. While I wish it could've been a month; this is only the beginning for Gradients.

I look forward to the spaces Gradients takes a hold of next in it's journey!

I spoke to Damaris @daaaaydreeam who curated and is the founder of Gradients. Here is what she had to say in our interview.

Artwork by Dora Gonzalez @weblightdreams

I remember seeing gradients. A couple years ago, and at first, you know, the announcement, the concept, the big red G. But now, it's full full out logo. Now here we are, now, a couple years later. How does that feel for you from the starting moments to now? As Damaris expresses "To the pain and creating. I can finally breathe. Because, it's been on the works for so long. I never imagined that we'd end up having the show here in UTRGV. At first, I thought it would be a smaller gallery and different artists, but things happen for a reason, and it led me to this group of artists. I say this with no shade, but love and respect to every other artist. We were very young and we did not know what we were doing at their time, so I definitely feel like I had to take my time to research and learn how to do something because it's the whole process which you know about curate your own shows too, Ram. It's truly a moment to see where we were to where we are now, here." It has been in the works for such a long time and it reminds of the conversation I had with Tabatha one of the artists in the exhibition. How she wished she could've just forwarded her art work or simply print it out, but it's HERE! It's being viewed by so many people! Viewed daily but folks walking by, but most importantly viewed by individuals who also strive to be involved and look forward to the next one. Representation matters and Damaris really curated something that she expresses in the interview that needs to be shared. A few years was really worth this moment.

Artwork by Sebastian Nieto

I love the prehistoric friendship piece <3 the bottom dinosaur piece

What set off the first step? Per se. Into wanting to create your own show. There are art shows, but this is something that motivated you. YOU felt something, you knew something was missing and felt was being represented enough. If no one else, you did it as she exclaims "I have been a part of some shows before that weren't very accessible. They obviously tried their best to accommodate to me and my needs, but I felt like no one would surely know how to curate an exhibition unless they themselves are disabled or had the experience with working with disabled artists."

Artwork by Miranda Cantu

She continues by saying "I also know there are that many disabled artists that we see be a part of certain exhibitions, and I know that there's a big group here in the valley of disabled artists, and I firmly believe they should be represented, just like everybody else.

Photography by Teressa Escamilla

So, from the very beginning when I was told about this opportunity I was like 'can it be all disabled artists, please?' And she said, yes, and from there, we did this." While this is the first exhibition in the Gradients series as I would like to say. Damaris expresses representation and the involvement of disabled artists in other galleries. It isn't hard to listen and accommodate. This only causes an obstacle or rather a restriction for artists to enter - even just apply. This would allow us to meet new artists. May we one day also hold Gradients at the Trucha office or anywhere else possible. I'd love to hold space for my friend Dama and her vision in representing the pool of artists that may experience their first exhibition.

Artwork by Damaris

What could you say for galleries that want to accommodate just for the sake of accommodation and to make things more accessible for folks who may be wanting to participate in an exhibition, but of course must apply, but they feel like, who they are or what they represent may be an obstacle just to even enter the application barrier even. What would you say would be some like steps for galleries to take or even consider to make things easier in accommodating for a disabled artist and keeping it publicly accessible? As Dama explains "Yes, yes. Well, I think from the very start they need to be very vocal about the fact that they're willing to work with disabled artists. I also think that they should meet with other disabled organizations here, because they can definitely like learn a lot from them and get a grasp at their expertise.

Artwork by Dora Gonzalez

I think the first step really is just making sure that that they're willing to put in the work. Two is making sure that their space is accessible. Especially on the flyer for example. Having it state that there is like an entrance for people with wheelchairs or even just in the description. Third, accessibility isn't just for disabled people when it benefits everybody. Another very easy thing to do is, for example, the

Their artist statements and their bios. They can make them in Spanish as well. I know a lot of spaces that want everything to be in English, but I mean, we live in the valley. There's artist statements in the bios by creating a QR code where you can scan it and it will read it to you." There was various ways to accommodate and make things more accessible. The QR sounds pretty cool! Hmmm the Spanish translation, the braille, the rails, the ramps, the sizing/spacing for wheelchairs, sensory toys being available, but that's just the tip of the ice berg. There is also making applications accessible and not an obstacle. It's ARTIST STATEMENTS AND BIOS and going past this "language" when it can't be represented in a way the artist wishes to depict themselves or their artwork. There's so much more, but as Damaris mentioned as curators/gallery owners we can make the time to meet with disabled organizations to learn and listen.

Artwork by Tabatha Colchado

The list of artists, was it your full curation? If so, how did you meet the individuals who are here today? What was the process of accepting them? I'm really curious about the application process as she says "The application process ended up being completely different than what I had imagined at first. I had a very specific idea of what kind of work I wanted to accept and what kind of work I wanted them to make. I very quickly realized that some of them don't necessarily want to make art/work that's specifically about their disability. Due to art truly being a way for them to work through their stuff, themselves. I told them that instead of making artwork about their disability to just make art work over what makes them happy.

Artwork by Isadora Ochoa

I got to meet some of them at our first meeting and a lot of them were very, very nervous. Due to more than half of them this was their first time like being a part of a show. They were very nervous, but very excited and willing to do the work. Especially to this level. A lot of them did not know that they were going to have to create an artist statement or a bio. They didn't know what the title part was, so it was definitely a process, but it was worth it seeing it all come together. it's interesting because those were sorts of things that are in a sense hindrance towards artists who want to apply different things. It makes it inaccessible towards entering galleries too.

Where it's like, what's an artist statement or what's a CV? And it's like? In a sense holding back folks that want to push themselves forward and entering the new spaces, Although, that shouldn't be the case."

Artwork by Abigail Vela

Artists have to make these statements, proposals, and bios that it might keep them from wanting to be a part of something like this as Damaris continues by saying "So I actually went a different route, and I told them that they did not have to make it sound all polished and professional, it was very important for me to have them write things the way that they usually speak and explain themselves. A lot of them did think that because we're having this show here that they had to follow a certain rubric, but I was like, no? That's very limiting, also it would not have been true to the artist." Yeah, you're restricting yourself in a way that you express yourself by expressing it in a way that's more "academic" to fit this location, this "fine arts establishment". Having to fit a certain way, but you shouldn't exactly. Dama ends it by saying "That was something that had me urge them to please write it the way that you usually talk and explain yourself because also, it makes it more easy for. Like the average person to digest the work." In my conversation with Tabatha she mentioned about the langue needed to write a the artist statement and the bio. She was nervous and felt this pressure due to being an exhibition and a new experience. It was the idea that her work and her words needed to fit a certain criteria. Tabatha went on to share that she heard/learned about the flyer via her church. It all starts with the first step. I remember telling her that through her persistence she's here now as mentioned earlier. I love that Damaris gave the opportunity to the artists to write their information in their own form of expression, in their own language disregarding the "fine arts barrier." I don't blame Tabatha for how she felt because it feels like it must be a certain way or OUT, but that's not the case with Dama's process in mind.

Artwork by Abdias Abdiel

Now, that's the big day. We're here, you know, there's people coming in and out. What's something you would want folks to take out of this two-week exhibition?

"One thing I'd want is something very basic, but it's the truth. That disabled people are capable of doing anything. Including incredible art. I would love for them to step into the gallery to view it. I would like the average person to know that disabled people are capable of doing anything that they want to. Know that people can give these types of opportunities to disabled people, and that they will pull through and that they are willing be ready to put in the work."

Artwork by Miranda Cantu

Do you have any final comments you'd like to make? "Please hire more disabled people and listen to our stories. Our stories are important and one day this is all going to be history, but it's important to know that we're part of this history."