The Donna Beam Gallery presents, American Girl, the MFA thesis exhibition of Karla Lagunas. The exhibition takes on the weight of the American Dream—its myths, contradictions, and costs. Through performance, video, painting, and installation, Lagunas confronts survival and identity, challenging the roles we’re forced to play and the stories we’re assigned. At the heart of the exhibition is a powerful live performance on March 7, 2025, at 7:00 PM, where the gallery transforms into a stage for both the artist and the audience.

Visitors will encounter an installation of loose canvas, suspended and tethered, inviting them to reflect on the weight and burden of identity and survival. A covered wagon, placed at the center, represents a space that is both burdened and fixed, yet full of possibility.

Lagunas, a first-generation Mexican American artist, weaves her personal experiences into this exhibition, drawing from her journey as the daughter of immigrants. The exhibition speaks to the fractures of the present moment, where histories are rewritten, futures remain uncertain, and survival becomes an act of defiance. Her practice, fluid and evolving, stretches the idea of painting, sculpture, and performance, creating spaces where joy, vulnerability, and resistance thrive together.

Exhibition dates: March 3 - 14, 2025; Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Reception: March 7, 6 - 9 p.m.; performance at 7 p.m.