By Maeve Gilheney-Gallagher
2nd Place, Visual (3D), Create | Encounter 2021
Artist Statement:
“La Monarca” was inspired by the migrants and refugees who have had their lives forever changed by the cruel and racist policies the U.S. government enforces through I.C.E. A carceral system does not increase safety and decreases quality of life for the many people who come to the U.S. in hopes of finding stability and opportunity. The monarch butterfly has become a symbol of immigrant rights because it is known for its migratory patterns; travelling peacefully across North America without concern for man-made borders.