Left to right, John Petersen and his wife, Sandy Petersen, discuss the artwork with Provost Barbara Burch, while six artists from Mexico share their vision with Western students and faculty during the gallery showing in the fine arts center on Wednesday. BRENDAN SULLIVAN/HERALD

The fine arts center gallery was packed with art lovers, professors, local residents and students for the opening of a new Mexican art exhibit on Wednesday.

The art displayed came from Michoacàn, Mexico, and spotlighted female artists. Although there was one male artist, all of his work featured women. Two years ago, a similar art show spotlighting males came to Western.

Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 marks National Hispanic Heritage Month. Artist Rosa Gomez spoke to people in the crowd with the aid of a translator.

Her favorite piece was a painting titled “Kneading,” which depicted a Mexican woman kneading dough on a large stone, she said.

“It’s important that we share our culture with others, because Mexican traditions are not as present anymore,” she said. “We’re losing our traditions.”

Gomez’s translator, foreign exchange student Alfredo Lopez, said in Mexican culture women are the strength of the family.

“They always have something to do for their family,” Lopez said. “It might be making the corn tortillas or cleaning, but the woman does everything for the family.”

Beaver Dam junior Emma Paez brought her Venezuelan grandparents, who were vacationing here, to the exhibit. Paez and her mother translated for them.

Paez and her grandmother agreed their favorite piece was “Sometimes Everything Seems Unreal” by Leonor Soles. The piece, a color print, showed a pasture with a few clothing lines with bright clothes streamed across them.

“I think it’s excellent,” Paez said.

Elizabethtown senior Eddie Rogers said this showing had the most people he’s ever seen in the gallery.

“I have a lot of friends that are art majors, and I usually try to come to the gallery when they have something,” Rogers said.

Spectators walked around with glasses of lemonade or wine. The exhibit was hosted in conjunction with the Kentucky Institute for International Studies’ move to Western.

“The exhibit was a week late getting here due to an international holdup at the airport,” gallery director Kristina Arnold said.

KIIS was a big sponsor in bringing the Michoacán art to Western.

“Usually our budget doesn’t allow us to bring in international art or artists, but since KIIS had a big help in this, it was all possible,” Arnold said.