With a roster of over 95 established visual artists, poets, writers, musicians, activists and visionaries, Grupo Soap del Corazón, led by Dougie Padilla and Xavier Tavera, is one of the longest-running Latinx artist groups in the country. As a dynamic collaboration, they have infused culture, passion, and spirit into the northern plains and the USA’s art scene for more than 20 years. With work that sometimes confronts sociopolitical issues, or celebrates the joy of Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), or provides much-needed human connection, Grupo Soap del Corazόn has generated both publicity and critical acclaim by electrifying the Latinx artistic voice. In 2009, the group created spectacle, wonder and celebration through the creation of steamroller prints at Plains Art Museum – an event that resulted in works in the Museum’s permanent collection.
La Línea: 22 Years of Grupo Soap del Corazón will be on display from February 24th – August 13th, 2022, to commemorate the diversity of expression and longevity of a group that has already brought forth exhibitions such as El Otro Americano, Frontera Lake Street, El Milagro, Gráfica Politica, Ni Una Mas (spotlight on the 370 plus disappeared and murdered women of Juarez, Mexico), and Espiritus. Exhibited works in the La Línea (The Line) includes new work by Camilo Eduardo Aguirre, Ricardo Bennett-Guzmán, Jim Denomie, Luis Fitch, Eric Garcia, Ruthann Godollei, Martin Esteban Gonzalez, Bobby Marines, Lela Pierce, Dougie Padilla, Marcela Rodriguez Aguilar (“Amaru”), Susana Andrea Villalobos Sakr, María Cristina Tavera, and Xavier Tavera. Plains Art Museum in Fargo, North Dakota is the first event scheduled for La Línea: 22 Years of Grupo Soap del Corazón, followed by exhibitions at the MMAA in St. Paul, MN, and the Anderson Center for the Arts in Red Wing, MN.