Collidoscope: de la Torre Brothers at Mint Museum Uptown

Celebrating their 30-year creative journey, the exhibition title and curatorial design reflect the brothers’ creative process, combining conceptual play with technical mastery and a deep engagement with cultural identity. Their creations combine glass, found objects, resin, laser-cut metal, and lenticular prints. 

Rich in symbolism, humor, and layered visual storytelling, the de la Torre brothers practice has earned international acclaim and a loyal following. Inspired by Mexican folk art, mythology, popular culture, consumerism, and religious iconography, their art offers a bold, multilayered exploration of the Latinx experience, as well as bicultural identity, politics, religion, and pop culture. 

The de la Torre brothers have strong connections to North Carolina, having worked at both Penland School of Craft located in western North Carolina and Starworks centrally located in the state.  

“The Mint is thrilled to bring this important exhibition to Charlotte. Our museum is praised worldwide for its collection of contemporary glass, and Collidoscope offers an in-depth look at the fantastic creations of ‘the brothers’ as they are affectionately known. Their collective imagination is matched by their technical virtuosity, keen wit, and courageous social commentary,” says Annie Carlano, senior director of Craft, Design, and Fashion at The Mint Museum. “It was important to the Mint and the brothers to bring Collidoscope to our community, vibrant as the objects in the exhibition itself.”

Collidoscope is organized into five thematic sections: Histerical Vignettes, Hybrid Dislocations, Systems and Cycles, Retracollage, and Other Works. The exhibition is further enhanced by a soundtrack inspired by the artists’ creative process. 

Collidoscope in Charlotte is generously presented by Laura and Mike Grace. The national travelling exhibition is organized by The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum in partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino.

Collidoscope is on view June 7–September 21, 2025 at Mint Museum Uptown at the Levine Center for the Arts, 500 S. Tryon St., Charlotte, North Carolina.

About the artists 

Einar and Jamex de la Torre (born 1960 and 1963, respectively) have energized and expanded the notion of contemporary glass. Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, and currently living between San Diego and Baja California, the de la Torre brothers have spent decades cultivating a body of work that seamlessly blends traditional techniques with contemporary themes and technology. The de la Torre Brothers are known for their collaborative mixed media works that fuse blown glass with lenticular imagery and found objects. Their art has been exhibited globally and is held in major museum and private collections. Learn more at delatorrebrothers.art. 

Ticket Information 

Admission to The Mint Museum exhibition is free for members and children ages 4 and younger, and students in grades K-12, plus college art students; $15 for adults; $10 for seniors ages 65 and older; and $10 for college students with ID. For museum hours, visit mintmuseum.org. 

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About The Mint Museum
Established in 1936 as north Carolina’s first art museum, the mint museum is a leading, innovative cultural institution and museum of international art and design. With two locations — Mint Museum Randolph in the heart of Eastover and Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts — the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community.   

About The Cheech & Riverside Art Museum (The Cheech) 
The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture and the historic Riverside Art Museum are located in downtown Riverside, California. Both sites offer high-quality exhibitions and arts education with a mission to integrate art into people’s lives. Learn more at thecheechcenter.org. 

About Cheech Marin
A leading voice in Chicano art, Cheech Marin is the collector behind one of the most significant private holdings of Chicano art in the United States. His vision for The Cheech is to serve as a nationally relevant and internationally renowned center for Chicano creativity and culture. 

About the National Museum of the American Latino

A Smithsonian institution, the National Museum of the American Latino works to preserve, celebrate, and expand the understanding of Latino contributions to the United States. Learn more at latino.si.edu.