(Berkeley, CA) June 8, 2026—This summer, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive will unveil a large-scale site-specific mural commissioned from the Oakland-based Colombian artist Marcel Pardo Ariza. Art Wall / Marcel Pardo Ariza: Las Frutas del Labor celebrates the often-overlooked contributions of professional art handlers, whose labor is vital to sustaining cultural spaces. On view for nearly a full year, the mural was created specifically for BAMPFA’s sixty-three-by-thirty-foot Art Wall, visible from the street, that welcomes visitors to the museum and has become one of BAMPFA’s signature commissioning platforms.

Ariza is the co-founder, with Ambrose Trataris, of Arthandlxrs*, an award-winning organization dedicated to supporting marginalized communities within the art handling profession. Their work as an artist explores queer and trans identity through photographic installations and collaborative projects, which celebrate intergenerational kinship and community resilience. Ariza’s commission transforms BAMPFA’s Art Wall into a vibrant celebration of the essential part that art handlers play in museums and collection care. Las Frutas del Labor incorporates a collage of images Ariza photographed of the hands and tools of BAMPFA art handlers, after they were invited to partake in manicures and a day of relaxation. Larger than life, and in vivid color, the Art Wall focuses on the tools and materials of the art handling profession and the hands of the skilled art professionals that wield them, all of which have contributed to countless installations at the museum and numerous installations in local spaces. Thus, the same hands and tools that inspired the work are involved in its realization, spotlighting the labor, precision, and expertise that brings all exhibitions at the museum to life. 

BAMPFA will host multiple public programs in conjunction with Art Wall / Marcel Pardo Ariza: Las Frutas del Labor, beginning with an Artist’s Talk and Conversation with Ariza on Saturday, September 19. The conversation will be moderated by BAMPFA’s Chief Curator Margot Norton, who curated Ariza’s Art Wall commission. Ariza and Trataris will return to the museum on Saturday, April 24 to host a drag performance with Art Handlxrs* at 5 PM inspired by the theme of art handling. This exhibition is part of The Further Triennial, and the drag performance will be presented as part of the Triennial’s full-day spotlight on Richmond and Berkeley arts institutions; for more information about Further, visit furthertriennial.org.

“BAMPFA’s Art Wall is the first artwork you see when you enter our museum, visible from the street, and is a site for public programs, performances, hands-on educational workshops, and countless informal gatherings,” said Norton. “It is truly exciting to welcome all who enter our museum with Ariza’s striking, large-scale love letter to art handlers, and the care, ingenuity, and vital contributions they bring to museum work.”

“There are so many talented people who bring our exhibitions to life, especially our art handlers and preparators,” said BAMPFA’s Executive Director Julie Rodrigues Widholm. “I am thrilled that BAMPFA will celebrate their creativity, dedication and skill in Ariza’s Art Wall commission for the next year.”

About Marcel Pardo Ariza

Marcel Pardo Ariza (b. Bogotá, Colombia) (they/he) is a trans visual artist, educator, and curator who explores queer kinship through photographs, site-specific installations, and public programming. Their work is rooted in dialogue and collaboration with trans and queer friends and peers—many of whom are performers, artists, policymakers, and community organizers. Their practice celebrates collective care and intergenerational connection, emphasizing long-term, interdisciplinary collaborations that are non-hierarchical and equitable.

Ariza’s work has recently been exhibited at Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP) in Brazil; Museo de Antioquia in Medellín, Colombia; Espacio Odeón in Bogotá, Colombia; Lisson Gallery in New York City; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA); Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; Palo Alto Art Center; San Francisco Arts Commission; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts; Palm Springs Art Museum; and the ICA San José. They are the recipient of the 2022 SFMOMA SECA Award, the 2021 CAC Established Artists Award, the 2020 San Francisco Artadia Award and the 2017 Tosa Studio Award. Ariza received their MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and is currently an Assistant Professor of Photography at California College of the Arts and the co-founder of Art Handlxrs*. They have been a visiting artist at various institutions including Stanford, UC San Francisco, University of San Francisco, California College of the Arts, San Francisco Art Institute, Bard College, Harvard University, California State University Monterey Bay, San José State University, Mills College, UC Berkeley, and the San José Museum of Art. 

They serve on the board of El/La Para Trans Latinas and have been a member of The Transgender District's Community Advisory. They are represented by OCHI gallery in Los Angeles.

About BAMPFA

Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) ignites cultural change for a more inclusive and artistic world. BAMPFA has been uniquely dedicated to art and film since 1970, with international programming that is locally connected and globally relevant. It holds more than 25,000 artworks and 18,000 films and videos in its collection, with particular strengths in modern and contemporary art and historical Chinese painting, as well as the world’s largest collection of African American quilts. As part of the University of California, Berkeley, BAMPFA is committed to artistic diversity through its robust slate of art exhibitions, film screenings, artist talks, live performances, and educational programs that shed new light on the art of the past and connect our audiences with leading filmmakers and artists of our time. BAMPFA sits on the edge of campus and downtown Berkeley, where it welcomes visitors from across and beyond the Bay Area in a repurposed building designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro.