Traveling Tables of Amistad Pop-up Exhibit

About the Pop-up Exhibit

Included with General Admission to the Museum

This September, the Friends of International Friendship Park will unveil The Traveling Tables of Amistad – an installation that transforms segments of the former border wall into community tables designed to bring people together in conversation.

The Traveling Tables of Amistad will be on view in a special two-week pop-up exhibit at the Museum of Us from September 6–19, 2026, offering visitors a powerful reimagining of one of the most divisive symbols of our time.

A Sculptural Transformation

The centerpiece of the exhibit is a striking sculptural conversion of a former United States-México border wall segment. Commissioned by Friends of International Friendship Park and created by local sculptor Michael Leaf, three tables can be rolled apart or joined together to form a single conference table. This flexible design serves as an architectural metaphor for connection, collaboration, and shared purpose. 

Rooted in the history and spirit of International Friendship Park, the project reflects the organization’s commitment to counter disinformation and polarization with truth, creativity, and human connection.

What to Expect

During the two‑week installation, visitors will experience:

• The Traveling Tables of Amistad sculptural tables made from former panels of the border wall itself, inviting reflection on hope and cross‑border friendship.
• An introduction to the history, purpose, and future of International Friendship Park

The Traveling Tables of Amistad will continue their journey after the Museum of Us exhibit, serving as a mobile platform for community meetings, arts programming, and collaborative projects across future host locations.

About Friends of International Friendship Park

International Friendship Park / El Parque de la Amistad is a public park and cross-border meeting place at the western end of the U.S.-México border, on Kumeyaay/Kumiai land. At International Friendship Park, people from both sides of the border have come together to nurture the land, visit with friends and family separated by immigration policies, and celebrate the culture and heritage of la frontera.

To learn more about The Traveling Tables of Amistad and The Friends of International Friendship Park programs and initiatives, visit internationalfriendshippark.org.

Following the federal government’s decision to replace the existing border wall at Friendship Park in 2023, the Museum collaborated with the Friends of International Friendship Park to preserve 21 sections of the former border wall as items of cultural, historic, and artistic significance to our multinational region. Learn more about the Border Wall Preservation Project.