Art meets nature 

Voces Unidas RGV shares Water Bonds Project with community

Derick Lara | Pulse

Voces Unidas RGV, an organization located in the Rio Grande Valley is on a mission to foster a sense of interconnectedness between the land of the RGV and those who inhabit it.

They believe in the idea of liberation, interdependence and encourage people to take responsibility for the world we live in. 

“We [Voces Unidas] envision a peaceful world without borders upheld through interdependent networks of support and goodwill,” said Michelle Serrano co-director of Voces Unidas RGV. “We work diligently, not urgently. We’re rooted in our past. We believe in our futures. We honor interconnectedness, and we are abolitionists that care for the land like the land cares for us.” 

One of Voces Unidas’ goals is to teach others about their history and how to defend the valley through their stories.

“We believe that teaching people about their story and how to tell stories is integral to defending the valley and defending the people who are from here and the people who crossed through here,” said Serrano.

Collaborators of the Water Bonds: Arroyo Colorado Project gather together to work on art for the Convergence Art Exhibition.  Photo Courtesy environmental science sophomore Apolonio Flores.

One way the organization has been able to tell unique stories about the valley and its people is through a project they call “Water Bonds: The Arroyo Colorado Project.” Its focus is to show the community the importance of water and its connection to all the life that it supports.

 “I wanted to create this art program where people go and make artwork with the items that you would find naturally in the Rio Grande Valley, like clay soils or pigments from plants, a program that instilled in people their appreciation for the land,” she said.

It is through art that the Water Bonds Project and Voces Unidas has been able to accomplish their goal of inspiring people to appreciate the environment around them. 

“I feel like art in general is so universal throughout all of human existence, or has always prevailed,” said Angie Rocha, an environmental science and film senior. “It’s been a way to communicate with people because it’s understandable and appealing.”

Rocha is a Water Bonds Project collaborator who says her connection with the environment was instilled in her through her ancestors.

“There’s a reason why I feel like this and I believe that there’s a lot of ancestral history to it,” she said.  “[Rochas’ ancestors] were all farmers and worked with the land, so innately there was already that sense instilled within me to wanna be outside.”

Growing up in a colonia, Rocha recalls climbing trees and playing with mud as a way to interact with the “environment to satisfy those needs of feeling connected and energized.”

Apolonio Flores, an environmental science sophomore and freelance multimedia artist at UTRGV, who is also a Water Bonds Project collaborator, mentioned that after keeping the Water Bonds Project to themselves, he is excited “to finally share this in entirety with the community and see what connections and plans form from here on out.”

Work of art by Apolonio Flores, an environmental science sophomore and freelance multimedia artist on display at the Convergence Art Exhibition. Photo Courtesy Apolonio Flores

Water Bonds’ collaborators shared their project to the public by hosting the Convergence Art Exhibition at 7 p.m.  Aug. 23,  in Paper Caper Co. located in South Padre Island, in which the community gathered to enjoy live music and environmental art. 

 Flores invites the community to take part in the project and contribute to the environment 

“[The Water Bonds: Arroyo Colorado Project] is a movement that involves everyone and you know, everyone here is very accepting,” said Flores. “Whoever you are, whatever your background is, it doesn’t matter as long as you have something to contribute and I feel like it’s something that can help yourself and help your community.”