Welcome Gallery Exhibition Opening: Lauro López

From July 11-30, 2025,, New City Arts presents Birds on the Block, an installation by Artist-in-Residence Lauro López.

Join us for a free, public opening reception on Friday, July 11 from 5-7:30PM.

About the work, Lauro says, "This exhibition focuses on birds of the everyday and how they live around and with us. During my residency I've sought out birds downtown and surrounding areas, and most of my prints are derived from encounters as I walked around my neighborhood getting to New City Arts downtown. I distilled these observations and the questions they sparked into an introductory zine on noticing birds, highlighting different ways to engage and learn about them. This process is illustrated on the walls of the gallery, inviting guests to reflect on their own experiences with urban wildlife and what they might see in the spaces they move through. Historically bird watching has been a white middle class activity. In the past decade there has been a great movement in reclaiming outdoor spaces for BIPOC and disabled folks. I hope to add to this movement with this project and encourage others to value their own perspectives and observations in this space and beyond."

Lauro López is a mixed-media artist based in Charlottesville with roots in Texas and the Mexican-Latine diaspora. Their work explores identity and the relationship to self and culture as a Latine, transgender, and autistic person of color. The subjects of their art are varied but center lived experiences and the journey of reconnecting with aspects of identity while navigating the long arm of colonization. Lauro's work is inspired by Chicana and indigenous art theory as well as the community they are cultivating in the Charlottesville area.