MACOMB - The Western Illinois Museum is proud to announce its upcoming exhibit, We for Us by artist Ximena Barreto, on view from July 19 through November 22, 2025.
Through deeply personal and visually compelling work, the exhibit offers a powerful reflection on community identity, belonging, and collective memory.
An opening reception will take place on Saturday, July 19, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Museum.
Guests are invited to meet the artist, enjoy live music by Bill Maakestad, who is featured in the project, and refreshments and bar service. The event is open to the public, with a suggested $5 donation at the door to support the Museum’s programs.
The “We for Us” exhibit invites visitors to reflect on the richness of individuals who together form the fabric of our communities.
Barreto blends storytelling, photography, and mixed media to craft narratives that highlight personal stories while also celebrating diversity and the power of collective contribution.
The project also sheds light on often-overlooked community members and the intimate aspects of their lives, encouraging viewers to see one another with deeper empathy and understanding.
“We are thrilled to host Ximena Barreto’s We for Us project,” said Sue Scott, Director of the Western Illinois Museum. “Her work provides an important and timely exploration of who we are as a community. It demonstrates the need for local artists and their distinct role documenting our shared history through their interpretation of the world around them.”
About We for Us
We for Us is a photo essay by Ximena Barreto, created after spending two years living in Macomb, Illinois. The project profiles twelve individuals of different ages, genders, races, and ethnic backgrounds who each contribute in meaningful ways to the Macomb community. Whether through their time, energy, or hearts, they are all working to build a better place to live.
Some of these individuals know one another; others do not. Together, their stories highlight everyday acts of care and commitment— acts that often go unseen.
This project seeks to make those good deeds visible in the hope of inspiring others to come together around shared goals and a common good.
The photo essay is being published on the project’s website, we-for-us.com, with profiles released from January through August 2025.
We for Us was made possible through a Catalyst Grant from the Illinois Arts Council. All texts are available in both English and Spanish.
For more information, call 309-837-2750, text 309-837-2613, or email [email protected]. The Museum is located at 201 S. Lafayette Street, one block south of Macomb’s Courthouse Square. The building is fully accessible, and free accessible parking is available.
About the Artist:
Ximena Barreto Gonzalez del Riego
Ximena Barreto Gonzalez del Riego is a Peruvian artist who moved to the United States in 2021.
After settling in Missouri with her husband, she later relocated to Illinois, where she continues to develop her artistic career. In Peru, she worked as a self-taught freelance graphic designer and photographer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences.
Ximena has always felt drawn to the world of art.
She grew up in a middle- class household where both her parents influenced her creative development.
Her father, an architect, exposed her to art, architecture, and classical music.
Her mother, skilled in textile crafts, taught her to sew and knit. These early experiences planted the seeds for Ximena’s creative exploration, and in 2015, she began working in mixed media.
Photography—her first love and enduring passion— remains at the heart of her artistic process. One of her earliest visual memories is of watching her father’s slide shows of churches he had helped restore throughout Peru. Meanwhile, her mother introduced her to the imaginative possibilities of making things by hand—a process Ximena finds deeply satisfying.
In 2023, Ximena founded Ximena Within, a small business that reflects the artistic side of her life (visit: ximenawithin.com). Her work blends photography with fiber art, incorporating embroidery and knitting techniques. She is continually experimenting with new approaches and materials. Her aesthetic is clean and structured—a contrast, she says, to the chaotic environment of her childhood home, which was cluttered due to hoarding.
This contrast has shaped her desire for visual harmony in her work.
Ximena’s art has been exhibited in several regional venues, including the Buchanan Center for the Arts in Monmouth, the Macomb Arts Center, The Wine Sellers in Macomb, and the Art Center of Burlington in Iowa.
In 2024, Ximena received a Catalyst Grant from the Illinois Arts Council to support her photo essay We for Us (we-for-us.com). The project features portraits of twelve individuals from Macomb, Illinois, highlighting their positive contributions to the community.
Through this work, Ximena has embraced documentary portraiture—a genre she particularly enjoys for its ability to tell authentic and powerful stories through photography.
