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Work by Artist Carolina Loyola-Garcia Now on Display

By Claire Chow ’26

Mercersburg Academy welcomes Carolina Loyola-Garcia and her exhibition “Merging Hands” on display now through Sunday, February 23, in the Cofrin Gallery of the Burgin Center for the Arts. The corner gallery will also feature Loyola-Garcia’s “Map of Love,” an interactive installation. The artist will attend a reception on Friday, January 24, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. where light refreshments will be served. The Mercersburg community and local art enthusiasts are all welcome to attend.

Earlier in the day on January 24, Loyola-Garcia will attend multiple classes, speaking about the culture of flamenco with Kelsy Rupp’s Hip Hop and Culture class, as well as visiting Syd Caretti’s Drawing 2 and Painting 1.

Originally from Santiago de Chile, Loyola-Garcia works primarily in media arts, including documentary films, single-channel video art, video installations, video design for theatre, and digital photography and imaging. Aside from the media arts, Loyola-Garcia is also a performer, working in theatre productions and dance ensembles and as a flamenco artist. She currently resides in Highland Park just outside of Pittsburgh and teaches filmmaking and flamenco at Robert Morris University. 

Loyola-Garcia fuses her visual craft with live performances, examining questions of social justice. “Merging Hands” shows six photographs of different hands or pairs of hands, each with its own unique backstory. Taeeon Moon ’25, gallery intern, says that good works can make you contemplate, and Loyola-Garcia’s work does just that.

Loyola-Garcia’s work in the corner gallery, “Map of Love,” is an interactive installation encouraging visitors to write to their past or present loves and express with their hearts. Additionally, the corner gallery will feature the documentary she directed and narrates, Over the Waves: A Story of Flamenco in the U.S., as well as a collection of production posters from past performances.

Caretti, director of galleries and arts faculty member at Mercersburg Academy, said she loves that Loyola-Garcia and her work take influence from culture, fine and performing arts, as well as history. Loyola-Garcia’s work has been displayed all across the states, in Mexico, Canada, Cuba, Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, and a recent project of her images of  “Hands” was commissioned and installed at Pittsburgh International Airport.

The Burgin Center for the Arts is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Visitors should contact the Office of Campus Safety using instructions at the front door to be admitted to the Burgin Center for the Arts or make an appointment with Caretti at 717-328-6206.

Pictured: Carolina Loyola-Garcia's exhibition “Merging Hands” is on display through Sunday, February 23, in the Cofrin Gallery of the Burgin Center for the Arts.