EL PASO, Texas (AP) - A curator says artwork created by teenage immigrants who were held in a now-dismantled West Texas tent city portrays their longing for freedom and comfort.

The "Uncaged Art" exhibition highlights artwork produced by former detainees at the Tornillo tent city and is on display at the Centennial Museum at the University of Texas at El Paso until this fall.

The Dallas Morning News reports that the fundamental theme of the exhibition is the Quetzal bird and its colorful plumage. El Paso historian David Romo, who co-curated the exhibition, says the bird symbolizes a "yearning to be freed." Romo noted birds are admired by Aztec and Mayan people.

The federal government recently announced it will open two new tent cities in Texas to house up to 1,000 immigrants.

Information from: The Dallas Morning News, http://www.dallasnews.com

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.