Date and Time for this Past Event
- Thursday, Sep 17, 2026 2pm - 5pm
Location
Details
To launch Hispanic Heritage Month, Montgomery College invites the community to gather, witness, and connect through Caminos y Huellas (Journeys and Footprints), a powerful, interactive art experience opening on Thursday, September 17, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Cafritz Arts Center (Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus).
Moving beyond traditional heritage celebrations, Caminos y Huellas offers a space to pause, reflect, and consider the lived realities that millions across the nation experience every day. The experience brings to light the stories, struggles, and resilience that are often in plain sight, yet remain largely unseen in daily life.
Rather than a static exhibit, acclaimed local artists Quique Avilés and Samuel Miranda have curated an immersive, multi-sensory journey. Through visual installations, live spoken word, and music by Luci Murphy and Carlos Arrien, the space guides visitors step-by-step through an intentional narrative—opening eyes, hearts, and minds to the profound journeys of our neighbors and community members.
"This is an invitation to gather in community and witness something meaningful together," said Carolina Galeano, event organizer and co-lead for the Hispanic Heritage Month Planning Committee. "We wanted to create a reflective space that honors the depth of our community’s story. It’s an invitation to step into someone else’s shoes, acknowledge our shared humanity, and find space to connect and respond".
Opening Event Details:
What: Caminos y Huellas Opening Launch & Interactive Experience
When: Thursday, September 17, 2026 | 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Where: Aux Gallery, Cafritz Arts Center, 930 King St, Silver Spring, MD 20910 - Montgomery College (Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, across from Cultural Arts Center)
Highlights: Interactive installations, live music by local musicians Luci Murphy and Carlos Arrien, spoken-word poetry, community participation, and light refreshments.
About Quique Avilés
Quique Avilés is a Washington, D.C.-based Salvadoran poet, performer, and community activist who has spent nearly four decades addressing social realities, identity, and the immigrant experience through performance and literature. A graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Avilés is a celebrated storyteller whose multidisciplinary work has been featured on NPR, in theatrical solo shows, and across national and international community spaces.
About Samuel Miranda
Samuel "Sami" Miranda is a visual artist, poet, and educator raised in the South Bronx and based in Washington, D.C., whose work centers on Puerto Rican culture, displacement, and the beauty of everyday people. Author of poetry collections including Protection from Erasure and We Is, Miranda’s visual art has been exhibited internationally and featured in the Smithsonian’s Molina Family Latino Gallery.
About the musicians Luci Murphy and Carlos Arrien
Carlos Arrien leads the ensemble Rumisonko, bringing the rich, resonant traditions of Andean and Nueva Trova music to life through reflective instrumentation and song. Local acapella vocalist Luci Murphy grounds audiences with powerful call-and-response performances rooted in the local Black community's activist music tradition. Together, their dynamic musical styles weave a tapestry of community resilience, culture, and collective voice.
The opening gathering marks the debut of the installation, which will remain open to students, faculty, and the public throughout Hispanic Heritage Month. Members of the press are invited to attend the launch event, capture visuals of the experience, and speak with the participating artists and organizers.
