Fact Sheet: “Justin Favela: Capilla de Maíz (Maize Chapel)”
Exhibition
“Justin Favela: Capilla de Maíz (Maize Chapel)”
Aug. 22–ongoing
Where
Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Description
The museum has commissioned a new site-specific installation, “Capilla de Maíz (Maize Chapel),” by multidisciplinary artist Justin Favela for the Renwick Gallery’s Rubenstein Grand Salon. His mixed-media practice incorporates traditional Mexican and Latin American craft—specifically cartonería or piñata making—into large-scale sculptures and installations. “Capilla de Maíz (Maize Chapel)” honors the profound cultural significance of corn in the Americas. Maize (corn) sustained Indigenous peoples and later European settlers, helping to grow the American agricultural economy. Favela draws together many sources and symbols of maize from North American visual culture, including corncob column capitals at the U.S. Capitol and on the Renwick Gallery building. The shimmering gold-fringed walls and 30-foot piñata corn stalks combine two Mexican art practices: cartonería and the lavish Churrigueresque baroque ornamentation of 18th-century Mexican Catholic churches.
The installation is presented in conjunction with the exhibition “State Fairs: Growing American Craft,” on view Aug. 22, 2025–Sept. 7, 2026.
Credit
“Capilla de Maíz (Maize Chapel)” is organized by the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Major support is provided by Bannus and Cecily Hudson.
Note to editors: Selected high-resolution images for publicity only are available through the museum’s Dropbox account. Email americanartpressoffice@si.edu to request the link.
About the Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is the flagship museum in the United States for American art and craft. It is home to one of the most significant collections of American art in the world. The museum’s main building, located at Eighth and G streets N.W., is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The museum’s Renwick Gallery, a branch museum dedicated to contemporary craft, is located on Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street N.W. and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Check online for current hours and admission information. Admission is free. Follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. Smithsonian information: (202) 633-1000. Museum information (recorded): (202) 633-7970. Website: americanart.si.edu.
