Dallas – The Oak Cliff Cultural Center (OC3) is a division of the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture is proud to present “Beyond Papers, People”, a solo exhibition by artist Claudia Maysen. The exhibit will host a free opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m., Saturday, October 3, 2026. A live activation by the artist will also take place at 7 p.m. at the OC3.  

Expanding the visual language of her ongoing “US DOLLS” series, Maysen brings nineteen paper-doll-like figures to human scale within two life-size dioramas addressing lived realities of immigrants in Texas. Through architecture, paperwork, fencing, and construction materials, “Beyond Papers, People” examines agency, dignity, and the ways political and social systems shape individual lives, creating environments that move between home and institution, protection and confinement, belonging and exclusion. 

As viewers move through the exhibition, their role shifts. In “Home of the Brave (Dreamer)”, viewers approach the domestic space of a fictional Dreamer from its threshold, drawing close and looking through its windows without fully entering. In “Beyond Papers, People (Is This the Land of the Free?) / Somos Más Que Papeles”, the public enters and navigates among figures and barriers. A third interactive work, “I Proclaim”, presents a participatory podium where visitors are invited to proclaim their humanity in their own words. Together, the works explore how immigrants are understood through documents, categories, and systems, addressing questions of legal status, mobility, security, labor, and belonging.  

Claudia Maysen is a multidisciplinary artist blending conceptual art and representation to explore social issues from the perspective of a Mexican immigrant and American citizen. Maysen earned her bachelor's degree in architecture from Monterrey Tech in Mexico, where she also trained in drawing and painting. In 2024, Maysen completed an artist residency at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD). Maysen is a 2025 awardee of the Nasher Sculpture Center Artist Grant in Honor of Jeremy Strick and has been named the 2026 Best Artist by D Magazine. Recent exhibitions include solo shows at 5 Points Gallery (Milwaukee) and Artes de la Rosa (Fort Worth), as well as group shows such as New Texas Talent 33, Texas Vignette, Marfa Invitational, 2025 OCSFA Rising Stars (Dallas), and Absurdity at Woman Made Gallery (Chicago). 

Exhibition Programming

• Artist Talk: 4 to 5 p.m., Sat., October 10, 2026 (English/Spanish)
• Cut-paper/Papel Picado on Tyvek workshop: 2 to 4 p.m., Sat., October 24, 2026 (English/Spanish)
• Discussion - Beyond Papers: Art, Storytelling, and the Right to Be Seen: 3 to 5 p.m., Sat., November 7, 2026
• Closing Reception: 6:30 to 8 p.m., Sat., November 14, 2026 
  
  

Oak Cliff Cultural Center Hours of Operation 

The Oak Cliff Cultural Center is a division of the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture and is located at 223 W. Jefferson Blvd., Dallas, TX 75208 next to the historic Texas Theater. Operating hours are from Noon to 6 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday. For additional information please visit: occc.dallasculture.org. 

Note to media: There will be availability for interviews and opportunity for B-roll. Please RSVP at the link here: forms.office.com/g/BtznYkAnvT 

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