Beverly McIver On View | We Belong Here: The Gutierrez Collection

We Belong Here: The Gutierrez Collection is the first public exhibition of a collection of contemporary art built over the past decade by North Carolina–based collectors Onay Gutierrez and Jeff Childers.  The exhibition features over 130 works created in the twenty-first century by some of the biggest names in contemporary art today. The international contemporary artists featured work in a broad range of media, engaged with current social, political, cultural, and personal issues.

 

Gutierrez and Childers, who began their collection in 2015, describe their collecting philosophy as “revolving around the contemporary cultural landscape of their time through a cross section of artistic voices.”  As collectors, they prioritize artists who deviate from traditional or expected approaches to their medium, and who employ unique techniques to convey specific narratives. Their collection reflects contemporary ideas around mental health; LGBTQ rights; Latin/Latinx, African, and African Diasporic identities; as well as broader explorations of activism, protest, and civil disobedience.

 

As Gutierrez and Childers state, “The Gutierrez Collection aims to create a space where art becomes a platform for dialogue and understanding across a broad spectrum of identities and perspectives.”

 

 

We Belong Here: The Gutierrez Collection is co-organized by the North Carolina Museum of Art, Winston-Salem, and the Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, NC.