Truth + Tamales

People around a table weaving colored tape into a plastic net A group of people stands around a colorful woven project on a table, collaborating and weaving strips together in a bright, indoor room with light blue walls.  A group of people sit around a colorful table weaving ribbons into a net. They are smiling and focused, with name tags on their shirts. The table is covered with bright fabric, scissors, and rolls of ribbon. A group of people stand around a table preparing food together. A man in a turban and glasses holds a tortilla, while others help with ingredients. Bowls and utensils are visible on the yellow tablecloth.

Truth + Tamales
A yearlong community-based art project and social practice
art + conversation + tamales + neighbors

Opening Reception: Friday, June 14th
From 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 6:30 pm and a dance performance by Danza Azteca Tonantzyn de St. Thomas More at 6:45pm.

Truth + Tamales features a large-scale, collaborative, temporary public artwork built on site at The ArtsCenter by over 100 local community members and artist Mary Carter Taub in 2018 and 2019. The temporary public artwork, comprised of safety orange plastic construction fence and brightly colored vinyl ribbon, is on exhibit in the Nicholson Gallery from June 3 – 28, 2019.

Truth + Tamales is an art and social practice that strives to be a change agent for a more inclusive culture in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Orange County. Through traditional tamale making and contemporary art making, Truth + Tamales is on a mission to strengthen relationships, build community and bridge cultural gaps by practicing a “stranger to neighbor model.” Over one year during monthly meet-ups, community members socialized, learned to cook tamales with local tamaleras, shared truths, and collectively built the public artwork on exhibit at The ArtsCenter.

The partners for this bilingual (Spanish/ English) project are Mary Carter Taub (public artist), Barbie Garayúa Tudryn (counselor) and José Nambo (teacher). Truth + Tamales is a grass roots initiative that receives support from The ArtsCenter, FPG Bilingüe School and El Centro Hispano. This project is supported by the NC Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources. Participation in Truth + Tamales was free and open to public.

Questions? mary@marycartertaub.com
Preguntas? bgarayuatudryn@chccs.k12.nc.us
Truth + Tamales on Instagram @truthandtamales

The North Carolina Arts Council logo with a colorful circular pattern and the word “arts” in the center, alongside the text “North Carolina Arts Council, Fifty years of leadership.”.