Colombian artist Debora Arango wasn't exactly what you'd consider "popular" in her native land when her artwork first surfaced there. That's not because she wasn't a gifted artist - using vibrant brushstrokes and zesty figurative detail, her paintings pop with expressionist flair - but rather because of the controversial political and social context that they carried.

The Medellín-born artist specifically focused on women's rights and the injustices associated with Colombia's unofficial civil war (known in Spanish as "la época de La Violencia") that occurred from 1946 to 1963. Arango's works cross the U.S. border during Sociales: Debora Arango Arrives Today, an exhibit at Mint Museum Uptown. $5-$10. Opens today and continues through June 16. Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S. Tryon St. 704-337-2000. www.mintmuseum.org.