Lost and Found Exhibition Open Call for Austin Artists

Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist Yvette Mayorga, in collaboration with Austin's nonprofit MASS Gallery, has announced an open call for artists living and working in the Greater Austin metropolitan area. Artists are invited to submit existing works for an exhibition titled "Lost and Found," scheduled for January 17 through February 14, 2026, at MASS Gallery.

The open call invites Austin artists to share their own stories of feeling "lost and found" while considering migration within broader ecological contexts, including the interconnected flora and fauna of Texas and Mexico. This exhibition is part of the community engagement phase of Mayorga's major public art project for the new concourse at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA), scheduled to open in 2030.

Mayorga's work draws on her ancestral ties to the Bracero Program, a U.S. government initiative (1942–1964) that allowed millions of Mexican men to work legally in the United States on short-term contracts. She explores the "emotional resonance of personal objects carried across borders and generations." Through this exhibition, Mayorga aims to give visibility to local artists while building community around themes that will inform her commissioned airport artwork.

Submitted works must be family-friendly and appropriate for public viewing. The exhibition is one of several artist projects to be realized over the next five years as part of the Airport Expansion and Development Project (AEDP). Community dialogue and feedback will inform the development of Mayorga's work.