Spirit Guides: Fantastical Creatures from the Workshop of Jacobo and María Ángeles
April 10–September 7, 2026
Spirit Guides: Fantastical Creatures from the Workshop of Jacobo and María Ángeles features brightly colored, richly patterned sculptures depicting imaginary hybrid animals that serve as spirit guides and astrological embodiments of human character. Inspired by the Zapotec calendar, the exhibition includes eight large-scale works on loan from Denver Botanic Gardens.
About the Artists
Jacobo and María Ángeles are a married artist team based in San Martín Tilcajete in Oaxaca, Mexico. Joyful, fanciful and distinctively patterned, the Ángeles’ animal sculptures embrace both contemporary art practices and folk art traditions. With increasing demand for their works, the artists employ more than 100 artisans in a workshop that also acts as an art school, offering creatives the opportunity to advance and develop their artistic skills. The workshop’s creations have been exhibited in museums throughout the globe, including the Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
Jacobo and María Ángeles, Coyote-Fish, fiberglass and acrylic paint, 2024. Artwork © Jacobo and María Ángeles. Photo © Scott Dressel-Martin. Exhibition organized by Denver Botanic Gardens.
Jacobo and María Ángeles, Deer-Butterfly, fiberglass and acrylic paint, 2024. Artwork © Jacobo and María Ángeles. Photo © Scott Dressel-Martin. Exhibition organized by Denver Botanic Gardens.
Jacobo and María Ángeles, Rabbit-Deer, fiberglass and acrylic paint, 2024. Artwork © Jacobo and María Ángeles. Photo © Scott Dressel-Martin. Exhibition organized by Denver Botanic Gardens.
Jacobo and María Ángeles, Jaguar-Eagle, fiberglass and acrylic paint, 2024. Photo ©Scott Dressel-Martin. Artworks © Jacobo and María Ángeles.
Jacobo and María Ángeles, Camel-Eagle, fiberglass and acrylic paint, 2024. Photo ©Scott Dressel-Martin. Artworks © Jacobo and María Ángeles.
Jacobo and María Ángeles, Crane, fiberglass and acrylic paint, 2024. Photo ©Scott Dressel-Martin. Artworks © Jacobo and María Ángeles.
Organized by:
Presenting Sponsor:
The KHR McNeely Family Foundation: Kevin, Rosemary, and Hannah Rose McNeely
