The Alebrijes y Nahuales Art Exhibit is coming to Salinas!

The Alebrijes y Nahuales Art Exhibit is coming to Salinas!

Published on July 02, 2026

Salinas is about to come alive with color, culture, and community spirit. Curated by Carlo Mango Pedro, the spectacular Alebrijes y Nahuales public art exhibition is making its way to our city from July 31 through September 4, featuring a series of eight monumental fiberglass sculptures crafted by talented artists from Oaxaca, Mexico. The exhibit features artists Angélico Jiménez, Efraín Fuentes, Margarito Melchor, María Jiménez, Constantino Blas, Adrián Xuana, and Leonardo Linares.

Standing an impressive 20 feet tall, these vibrant masterpieces are inspired by traditional Oaxacan wooden sculptures of animals and mythical creatures known as Alebrijes and Nahuales, each covered in breathtaking colors and intricate patterns.

Designed to engage and inspire residents of all ages, this citywide celebration kicks off with a Grand Opening Celebration at 5 p.m. on July 31 at Northridge Mall. Following the installation and opening celebration, visitors from the local, regional, and national levels will be invited to participate in numerous events throughout the exhibition. These remarkable works of art are expected to attract tourism and support economic development for Salinas businesses.

A special small-animal exhibition will be held on August 7 at 1 Main Street as part of the lively First Fridays event series. The community-wide experience will come to a close on September 4 with a celebratory finale, also hosted at 1 Main Street during First Friday.

Where to Find the Sculptures

The exhibition will be displayed across Salinas at six community hubs:

• Northridge Mall

• Sherwood Hall

• Salinas Regional Soccer Complex

• Vineyard Church

• 1 Main Street

• Star Market

"We have tremendous talent in this community, and we are really interested in whether we can create economic opportunities around the arts," said Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue. "This exhibit begins setting the stage for keeping more of our artistic talent here in Salinas, and it's going to be a very exciting opportunity for the city."

During the press conference on June 17, the exhibition's artistic producer, Romain Greco, described how the fantastical exhibit serves as a celebration of cultural roots and community pride.

"What I wanted to show with this exhibition is the tradition of Mexico, the cultural heritage of Mexico," said Greco. "It's such a rich country with so many different cultures that I thought it was very important to share that with people all over the United States. It's also about the meaning of those traditions, respecting the hard work of those people and their cultural identity. I think using public spaces for this kind of artistic expression is very, very important."

Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Colleen Bailey described how, "This exhibition will do more than showcase extraordinary works of art. It will connect many members of our community to their cultural roots while fostering a deeper appreciation for the rich and diverse cultures that make Salinas such a vibrant place to live. "

Featured Masterpieces

Keep an eye out for these eight incredible mythical and animal-inspired creations:

• The Coyote

• The CatBird

• The LionBull

• The Dog

• The Armadillo

• The Rabbit

• The Happy Alien

• The Cat Nahual

The Salinas Arts Commission hopes exhibitions like Alebrijes y Nahuales will encourage more public art exhibitions and creative projects to come to Salinas in the future.

Salinas Public Arts Commission Chair Carlos Cortez said:

"This is an example of your voice at work. This is one of many public art exhibitions that the Arts Commission is working hard to bring to our constituents. I invite everybody to come to our meetings and share your ideas so we can bring more projects like this-more exhibits like this. The more we can support our local artists and help them stay here, the more we'll have our stories told."

• Announcements
• Arts & Culture