A group of Honduran artists scrimped and saved and worked to bring their art to Canada. Now they hope people in Ottawa will come to see their exhibition before it leaves town — on Sunday.

Honduras Beyond Art, the work of 11 artists, is on display at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orléans.

It's work of bold, rich colours, rich in symbolism, and drawing from the landscapes, the life, the history and the beliefs of Hondurans.

They are huge paintings that the 11 artists brought all the way to Ottawa at their own expense on their first visit to Canada.

None of the artists speaks English, but they hope their work will speak for them.

Hondurans celebrate Independence Day on Sept. 15, so the artists took the opportunity to promote Honduras, and to promote what is has to offer in the way of arts.

A member of Ottawa’s small Honduran community, Carmen Marillo, is acting as an interpreter for the artists while they are here.

Speaking for one artist, Marillo said he was happy with the reception they got in Ottawa. But the number of people turning up to see the exhibit has been disappointing.

“Because of all the effort [they put into the trip], they were really hoping to promote it more,” she said.

“The Association of Hondurans Residing in Ottawa just got wind of it, so we're really trying to get people out to come see these beautiful pieces of art,” Marillo said.

The opportunity to see art directly from Honduras won't last much longer in Ottawa. The entire collection will be packed up and sent to Montreal on Sunday.