About the artist:

BRIAN LEMKE.

“My past year of painting has focused on the people I met and lived with during two trips to the highlands of Guatemala where the Mayan traditions are still alive in the local language of Kiche and the colorful woven clothes worn by the women. Their way of life is rapidly changing with the improvement of the road to their remote region in the town of Uspantan. My hope is to capture their hard working spirit and show this proud, thriving community during this time of transition. It is an honor to know them and call them friends. Each time I visit, I’m reminded that as Americans, we do not have all the answers; what would seem as a no brainer to us, makes no sense in Guatemala. We can offer assistance but only if we trust that their way of life has great value, that trying to keep it more like we have found it, is more valuable than changing it to what feels familiar to us. The people of Uspantan know that family, community and friendship matters most, everything else is a bonus. When painting, this is what I remember and try to convey in each image.”