Blog 4: ¡Printing the Revolution! Exhibition Preview

In ¡Printing the Revolution! Exhibition Preview, the history of the Chicano Movement and how art continues to be an effective form of activism were discussed. The panel centered around the artists Juan Fuentes, Ester Hernandez, and Zeke Peña, as they shared their story and their reaction as to how Chicanx art has evolved over the years. The conversation with Ester Hernandez stood out to me the most because she discussed what truly inspired her to become an artist. Born and raised in California, Hernandez had a farm workers family where her father became one of the first people in her barrio to join the United Farm Workers Union in the 1960s. She was always encouraged to be proud of her culture and to recognize her roots. After watching a performance by El Teatro Campesino, she witnessed how art can be a tool for social and political change. More specifically, Hernandez recognizes Dolores Huerta to be a major influence in her pursuit of the arts. She recalls how Huerta once stated how many Latinos in the media were portrayed as people to fear and pity. Unfortunately, this is still an issue going on today. Once Hernandez attended UC Berkeley, she was a part of a community of feminist Chicanas and understood how important their place was in the movement. With a strong community and all her sources of inspiration from a young age, Ester Hernandez has since dedicated her art to addressing issues affecting her community. Hernandez specifically discussed how a lot of her art responded to homophobia and advocated for people's right to love whoever they want. I wasn’t surprised to hear Ester Hernandez discussing how she used her art to advocate for the queer community because of previously reading about La Ofrenda. Many of the prints that the video showed are prints I recognized from the reading. I appreciated how this video gave me insight into the artists, not just the meaning behind a particular print.
            When the panel was asked how Chicanx art has remained and changed throughout the years, all of their answers were very similar. Of course technology has changed how artists produce and share their art. Social media has allowed artists to reach a wider audience and is seen as a beneficial platform. Although there have been many changes, the power and influence of Chicanx art remains the same. It has evolved, but still functions as an effective form of activism. I also appreciated how these well respected artists are moved and motivated by young artists and their work addressing current issues. They mentioned the Black Lives Matter movement and show a sense of pride when describing young protesters and artists speaking up during such difficult times. I love how they validated this sense of community present in the Chicanx community. Instead of challenging and lecturing young artists, they are open and proud of the idea that Chicanx art is evolving. 
            A quote that stood out to me was, “American art is Latino art and Latino art is American art.” I think that is an important lesson that a lot of people in the mainstream art world need to recognize. They are not mutually exclusive and I would like to think one cannot be without the other.