Skip to main content

Coen Exhibition at the FAC Receives National Recognition

We’ve got exciting news! Sunday, March 12, the FAC will be appearing on NBC’s Sunday TODAY (KOAA Channel 5). Our exhibition Don Coen: The Migrant Series will be featured on this segment, with host Harry Smith in the 8am hour MST. This is a huge honor and we’re thrilled to share this magnificent exhibition with a wider audience.

The Migrant Series is a collection of 15 large-scale, realistic portraits of migrant workers, painted between 1992 and 2012. These vibrant, impressive works are Coen’s “humble expression of gratitude” for America’s migrant workers, who are essential in producing much of the fresh produce and food we consume. Despite this, they remain relatively isolated from the consumer base and much of the larger American consciousness. Coen’s goal with The Migrant Series is to raise the consciousness of America to this often overlooked, yet vital segment of our society, giving the migrant workers an identity and voice through his paintings. This work portrays the dualities of the spirits and worlds we often drive by or do not care to notice or research. Exposing the essence of America’s migratory labor and the human psyche, Coen’s work inspires us to take notice, to respond, and to care about these incredible people, their lives, and contributions to our society.

Coen’s life journey to become an influential contemporary artist began at a very early age while growing up on his family farm in Lamar, Colorado. When Coen was five, he began designing and building his own toys and drawing by kerosene lamp at night around the kitchen table. From those quiet nights until the present, Coen’s work has been inspired by his experience working the land with his family and the several Latino families that lived and worked alongside Coen throughout his childhood and early adult years. Coen’s arduous life on the farm unveiled a deep love and connection to the surreal beauty of the eastern Colorado plains and to the people that worked the land. His ability to see this landscape in its entirety began and continues to result in powerful artworks that capture the landscape, people, and fauna that represent the American plains.

Throughout his career, Coen’s work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and recognized by many publications, awards and museums. His work is widely collected throughout the world and part of permanent collections of many prominent museums.

We are truly honored by this wonderful opportunity and proud of this well-deserved recognition of Coen’s hard work and artistry. Make sure to tune in on Sunday, March 12 at 8am MST!

Don Coen: The Migrant Series is on view through May 21, 2017