Handle with Care: A Special Project of the MexiCali Biennial Program, Land of Milk and Honey

About the Exhibition

Handle with Care: A special project of the MexiCali Biennial program, Land of Milk and Honey, researches and explores the use of the Opuntia, a genus in the family of Cactaceae that includes the prickly pear (nopal), as an alternative resource in the struggle against climate change. By looking at the historical, cultural, and biological uses of the cactus, alternative ideas on its use present themselves to help mitigate the effects of weather-related phenomena due to climate change.

Handle with Care is curated by local Southern California photo-based artist, Fred Brashear, Jr., who researches and documents the environmental, societal and cultural issues that have an impact on our world. Through investigation and research, he connects the treatment of the natural environment to systems of social inequality and inequity. The exhibit showcases Fred’s extensive research with the San Bernardino County Museum as well as his travels to Mexico and throughout Southern California.

Highlights