The Spanish word for monsters is the masculine monstruos, but an exhibition at Chandler Museum reminds visitors that women can be monsters too, according to a news release.

“¡MONSTRAS!: Female Legends of Latin America” opens April 26 and will be on view through Aug. 31.

More than just an invented word for female monsters, MONSTRAS emphasizes the double standard for women who defy social norms, and the draw of these traditional myths for those who feel on the fringes of society.

Based on the podcast of the same name created by Dr. Orquidea Morales and Brenda Salguero (M.M.St and MBA), the exhibition introduces dark and foreboding tales of Latin America that they first encountered in their youth, filtered through a distinctly feminist perspective.

The new exhibition includes legends from across Central and South America and the Caribbean, pointing out the shared origins of myths in the Americas with those of monster tales all over the world.

MONSTRAS stories share characteristics with frightening creatures in other lands, such as global links shaped by brutal colonial rule and the slave trade, the evolution of indigenous culture as their traditions mix with Catholicism and the universal concerns that unite humans trying to navigate an unexplained world.

Accompanying each MONSTRA story is original artwork commissioned just for this exhibition, contributed by contemporary artists Rayos Magos of San Jose, Calif., Anna Lisa Escobedo of San Francisco, Calif., and Beatriz Vasquez of Indianapolis, Ind. 

 The Chandler Museum is located at 300 S. Chandler Village Drive. It is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 1-5 p.m. and closed on Mondays. Admission is free.

Find more information on the exhibitions and programming by clicking here  or callng 480-782-2717.

Exhibit Envoy provides traveling exhibitions and professional services to museums throughout California. For more information, visit click here.

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