A Full Circle Moment: Nohemí Chávez Contreras Debuts "Santo y Sombra"
I recently had the pleasure of attending the opening night of Santo y Sombra (Saint and Shadow), the newest artist residency at Arts at Large in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point. The show marks a full circle moment for fashion designer, educator, and entrepreneur Nohemi Chavez Contreras, whose very first fashion showcase took place at the same venue in 2023, and later led to her successes at Milwaukee Fashion Week, and Milwaukee Art Museum's Art in Bloom.
Dancers from: México Indígena
Santo y Sombra is more than just an exhibition—it's an immersive exploration of identity, legacy, and transformation. Through it, Contreras invites us into a dynamic limbo between sacred tradition and rebellious evolution. Her work boldly unpacks the layered experience of Mexican identity with grace and power.
A first-generation Mexican-American from Guanajuato, Mexico, Chavez draws deeply from her cultural heritage. She is the founder of MODA LIBRE, a fashion brand reclaiming Indigenous wisdom through high-fashion lens. The phrase “Moda Libre” translates to, “in the manner of freedom”: a manifesto for creative liberation.
The opening night began with an intimate look at Chavez’s earlier works from her first collection, and her one-of-a-kind piece inspired by the Quetzal bird for Art in Bloom. The evening culminated in a soul-stirring performance by México Indígena—a ceremony of drumming, dance, and storytelling. The energy was electric as Nohemi herself modeled a new design, embodying the very essence of her work.
This residency is not to be missed. Nohemi Chavez Contreras will host two master classes at the Arts at Large community center on May 7th and May 22nd, 2025, offering a deeper look into her process and passion. The residency will conclude with a powerful fashion showcase on June 27th, 2025.
Santo y Sombra is a journey. A spectacle of life, death, and rebirth. An homage to the resilience, beauty, and complexity of a culture that has always lived between light and shadow.
