Kristen Beck was inspired by her father for her solo show “Before I Forget,” opening Aug. 1 at the Coral Springs Museum of Art. “My dad has dementia, and as I’m caring for him, I was struck with this notion of, how could I represent this visually to people? What this is like for him, what this is like for me as a caregiver,” said Beck, a South Florida artist and writer.
Beck uses quilting and photos to focus on the effects of memory, identity and dementia in “Before I Forget,” which opens along with a Main Gallery exhibit featuring Edison Peñafiel’s “Bario Alto,” Mitzi Falcón’s “Sementerxs” and Amanda Linares’ “Dialogue Across Walls.” The works will be on display through Oct. 5.
Gulie Carrington, marketing and communications coordinator, said the exhibits are mainly about construction in several different ways. “Construction seems to tie everything together, whether constructing memory, ‘Barrio Alto’ with the buildings and how easy they come down as far as being made from cardboard, and ‘Dialogue Across Walls,’ ” Carrington said. “Mitzi, as well, with the great work with ‘Sementerxs.
’ ” “Barrio Alto,” which translates to “Uptown Neighborhood,” is a showcase of black and white photographs featuring cardboard dioramas of cityscapes. Peñafiel said the works illustrate social-economic dynamics. Originally from Ecuador and now living in Broward County, he was surprised at how fragile the housing is in the United Sta.