Museum of International Folk Art | June 2026

Traveling Exhibition, Alebrijes: A Linares Family Tradition

The exhibition, Alebrijes: A Linares Family Tradition, made its debut at the Mexican Consulate on May 5 and was attended by 60 invited guests, City officials and dignitaries from the Consulate. The exhibition attracted media attention from at least three outlets, including KRQE, KUNM and MSN Travel News:

Traveling Alebrijes showcase opens at Mexican Consulate in Albuquerque

New exhibit showcases fantastical creatures in Mexican folk art

Traveling alebrijes showcase opens at Mexican Consulate in Albuquerque

Alebrijes will travel to venues across New Mexico and the Southwest through early 2028, reaching new and diverse audiences. Organized in partnership with the Mexican Consulate in Albuquerque, the tour is offered at no cost to participating venues, expanding access to Mexican folk art and cultural traditions for audiences of all ages.

A bilingual adaptation of MOIFA's popular exhibition La Cartonería Mexicana / The Mexican Art of Paper and Paste, the show explores the fantastical world of alebrijes, the vividly colored mythical creatures that have become icons of Mexican folk art. For generations, the Linares family has transformed humble materials, paper and paste, into works of remarkable imagination and technical skill.

Featuring newly commissioned works by three generations of Linares family artists, the exhibition gives visitors a rare look at contemporary expressions of this celebrated art form. Sculpture, film and interactive learning materials bring the cultural significance of alebrijes to life, with the goal of inspiring curiosity and a deeper appreciation for the living traditions of cartonería in communities throughout the region.

Upcoming Tour Dates: (subject to change)

Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site | November 2026 – April 2027

Farmington Museum | May – September 2027

Artesia Museum of Art | October 2027 – February 2028

Mexican Consulate, El Paso | Dates pending

Generous funding for this traveling exhibition is provided by the International Folk Art Foundation, Friends of Folk Art, Los Amigos del Arte Popular, Patricia Arscott La Farge Foundation for Folk Art, the Boeckman Family Foundation, and donors to the Museum of International Folk Art's Statewide Educational Outreach Fund through the Museum of New Mexico Foundation. Additional support provided by the Mexican Consulate in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Opening of Alebrijes: A Linares Family Tradition at the Mexican Consulate in Albuquerque. Photos courtesy of the Mexican Consulate in Albuquerque