You’ve seen her on altars, you’ve seen her on key chains, you’ve even seen her tattooed on the back of lifers at TDC. Now you can see the Virgin of Guadalupe at the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s “Morena Moderna: Virgin de Guadalupe” exhibit. A collection of photographs and installations by Diana Molina, “Morena Moderna” captures the complex relationship between Mexicans and the Virgin of Guadalupe. There are altars, religious candles, murals and low-rider automobiles featuring her image. Some show a reverence for her as the mother of Christ, others as a symbol of Mexican nationalism and others as a commodity. All of them are true, according to Molina, who says the centuries-old image continues to grow in importance to the Mexican people, reflecting “new perspectives, new dimensions and new conflicts.”
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. One Hermann Circle Drive in Hermann Park. Through April 23, 2008. For information, call 713-639-4629 or visit www.hmns.org. $7 to $9.

Oct. 20-April 23, 2007

This article appears in Oct 18-24, 2007.