Rie Kawakami

The Border Art Residency had an opening reception for Rie Kawakami, its artist-in-residence, April 6 at the Olo Gallery, 504 San Francisco.

During her stay at the residency, the Japanese-born Kawakami has been working on a variety of sculptures, many of them in metal. Her largest piece, "Undulating Earth," weighs more than half a ton, she said.

The event also was a fundraiser for the Border Art Residency. Organizers want to raise about $100,000 for its endowment fund.

Kawakami will be in El Paso through May, after which she will return to Japan to teach.