Huang, Marian

Hi everyone! My name is Marian Huang and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I am a fourth-year Communication major and transfer student who previously attended ArtCenter College of Design and Mount San Antonio College. This is my first course in Chicanx Central American Studies so I still have so much to learn, however, I am really excited to expand my knowledge regarding Chicanx/Latinx culture, specifically in visual art production. As a previous art student who studied Illustration, I had the opportunity to evaluate firsthand how artists are able to visualize their personal experiences and identities through a wide range of art mediums. I have personally used various painting and drawing mediums in the past, and have recently been delving into graphic design; however, I would love to learn more about the specific mediums used in historical and contemporary Chicanx/Latinx artwork. After transferring and taking courses at UCLA, I have also gained a stronger interest in learning more about how the arts can be incorporated into activism. 

For this week’s reading “Printing and Collecting the Revolution” by E. Carmen Ramos, I found the discussions regarding museum curation really interesting. Historically, it has been especially difficult for underrepresented artists to gain a substantial platform in mainstream museums. I enjoyed reading about how Gilberto Cárdenas was able to create positive change regarding this disparity through his cultural activism. For instance, he was able to report on the Smithosian’s lack of staff diversity and point out the museum’s disregard for Latinx culture. The lack of diverse representation is still prevalent in not only museum curation but also in the creative industry as a whole. This reading opened my eyes to how there is still room to highlight more accurate and dynamic histories across the arts in the United States.

I look forward to getting to know everyone over the course of this upcoming quarter!