THE NACIMIENTO PROJECT

1995-Present

First mounted in 1995 and produced on the average semi-annually, Melara and Connell began The Nacimiento Project in collaboration with Oscar’s Mother, Blanca Melara. The Nacimiento Project is a room-sized diorama, musical performance and festival that celebrates community ties. For the Nacimiento, Melara and Connell work with their family, friends and artistic community to create a tiny idealized world peopled with handmade self-portraits and figures. Installed during the month of January, The Nacimiento Project is a way to express shared hopes for the New Year. The Project has grown to include over three hundred figures all hand-made by participants.