Salve and Fundación Magdalena to exhibit works of Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide

Together with Newport-based nonprofit Fundación Magdalena, Salve Regina University’s Department of Art and Art History is bringing a very special exhibit to Newport in the fall of 2025 – 42 silver gelatin prints by Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide. The exhibit, titled “Infancia,” includes previously unpublished prints that explore childhood and rural life across various regions of the world. Thanks to the relationship between the artist and Fundación Magdalena, this will be the first exhibit ever of Iturbide’s images of children.

Graciela Iturbide was born in Mexico City in 1942. Her work has been exhibited at the Centre Pompidou, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, J. Paul Getty Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, among others.  

The exhibition opens Friday, Oct. 3, in Salve’s Dorrance H. Hamilton Gallery and will feature a catalog by Barcelona-based publisher Editorial RM that brings together reproductions of the artworks with an essay by Colombian curator María Wills. A public celebration to close the event is planned for Wednesday, Dec. 10. See more information on the exhibit here.

“Infancia” is part of a pilot project in which Salve and Fundación Magdalena will partner to create art events that spark inquiry and forge stronger community ties. Throughout the exhibit, Salve will run an after-school workshop one day each week, bringing together native English-speaking students and English language learner (ELL) students from different public schools in Rhode Island to explore how art can change the way we see each other and the world around us.  

Ramón Reverté, editor-in-chief of Editorial RM, is also a member of Fundación Magdalena’s board of trustees. He said, “In universities, there are opportunities to exchange knowledge – not only with students, but with communities. With Salve there was an instant recognition of shared purpose. Together, starting with this project centered around the incredible work of Graciela Iturbide, we have an opportunity to use art as a tool of empathy.”

The project also includes a spring 2026 residency by Peruvian artist Roberto Huarcaya, a key figure in Peruvian contemporary photography. His work is included in the collections of several international institutions, including the Maison Européenne de la Photographie and the Fine Arts Museum of Houston, and had been shown at the Venice Biennale, PHotoESPAÑA and other exhibitions. During his residency, Huarcaya will collaborate with Salve art students and community members to create a significant artwork that will be exhibited on the Salve campus. As part of the residency, the artist also will educate and engage Salve students in community-based art initiatives so that they may continue workshops for the community after the residency is over.  

Susannah Strong, chair of the Department of Art and Art History at Salve, said, “As a mission-driven university, we are focused on working toward a world that is just, kind and merciful. Infusing art into daily life at Salve and in our communities is the most direct and powerful way to bring about that change. We are incredibly honored to bring the work of Graciela Iturbide to our Salve and surrounding communities and thrilled for our students who will have the opportunity to immerse in creation with an artist of Roberto Huarcaya’s caliber.”  

The Salve pilot project with Fundación Magdalena builds on projects the organization is developing with the help of the Newport Police Department, the Women’s Resource Center and Conexión Latina to bring visibility and change to vulnerable communities in Newport and throughout Rhode Island.  

The Dorrance H. Hamilton Gallery is open to the public Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery is closed on Mondays. Admission is free, and all are welcome to experience this landmark exhibition in Newport.