Image: Lilian Lara, Divine Rest Nests: An Invitation, Summer Exhibition 2026 @ BMoCA. Image courtesy of Wes Magyar.
Lilian Lara: Liminal Courtyard
May 30 - December 4, 2026 @ Adams County
Adams County Health & Human Services Building
11860 N. Pecos St., Westminster, CO
Organza Walls (nylon fabric), Acrylic Plants (cacti), Cellophane (trees & vines)
“Liminal Courtyard” represents a home or shelter as more than just the physical spaces we inhabit. They mean safety, heritage, and memory. You can physically feel a place but the emotions the space evokes is what makes it feel like home. As an immigrant, I’ve had to move countries, states, and cities. My concept of such a place of rest is dis-joined and abstract. For me, home is an amalgam of objects, stories, and places frozen in memory. Many do not exist anymore or have so drastically changed they do not provide the comfort and familiarity one expects from the word home.
Using selected materials, Lara addresses the ephemera of memory tied to spaces. Using transparent materials to navigate the loss of a physical location while acknowledging the emotional ties that remain. The “Liminal Courtyard” is a structure between dream and memory that invites the viewer into a realm of familiar disorientation. In this transitional realm, it invites you to reminisce about those by-gone places, preserved in remembrance. Like a dream - some things aren’t quite right. Brick walls are see-through and plastic plants cast magenta shadows. The familiar becomes strange but not a stranger.
About the Artist:
Lilian Lara is a mixed-media artist focusing on papier-mâché sculptures and costume design. Her love of outrageous pageantry and interest in the fantastical is evident in her work as she draws on her Mexican roots to create unique pieces. She holds a BA in Psychology from Beloit College, Beloit, WI, a MS in Education Policy from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI. She also earned a Foreign Language Certificate (Japanese) from Kansai Gaidai University from Hirakata, Japan. Lara has exhibited her installations at the Denver Art Museum (DAM) and Museo de las Americas.
BMoCA at Adams County is a collaboration between Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art and Adams County. Curated by BMoCA, this exhibition is an extension of the museum’s exhibition programming.