Paden, Lily- Week 4 Post- Printing the Revolution Exhibition Review

 

Watching the recording of the "Printing the Revolution" Exhibition review was inspirational. Many of the artists who have pieces that are apart of the exhibition were featured on a panel to answer questions about their work. During this question and answer portion, I was warmed by the gratitude and pride all of the artists had for their work being in the exhibition. Every artist made a comment to thank the curators and it was clearly a very memorable moment in both their careers and personal lives. 

It was extremely interesting for me to hear where these artists got their inspiration from when creating their own pieces of artwork. Inspirations that were noted multiple times were both the Black Lives Matter movement, and the youth. Although I am not an artist featured in this exhibition, I can relate to these two inspirations. As Juan Fentes commented, both groups are "willing to have those conversations," and gather momentum for others. It is inspiring to watch groups of people speak up and fight for what they believe in, to speak up for justice. 

It was also a popular answer for these artists who said they were inspired by their own family, especially those older than them. Some told stories of their close ancestors who taught them about their culture. As Rosa Terrazas said, the Chicanx posters and pictures validated their experience, and taught them to love themselves. 

Juan Fentes also pointed out that he admired this particular exhibition at the Smithsonian because it had a "broad base to include all communities," and also noting that at the Smithsonian, "American art includes Chicano art."

It is clear that this particular exhibition is special for many reasons, and understandable how outwardly honored, grateful, and proud the artists were to be featured in this project.