René Yañez was a San Francisco based artivist, muralist and founder of Galeria De La Raza in the Mission District. He was born in Tijuana, Mexico in 1942 but his family soon moved to San Diego in 1954 where he stayed until he was drafted into the Vietnam war. He was discharged in 1966 and moved to the Bay Area where he began to study art and art administration at Merritt College, California College of the Arts, and Golden Gate College.
He was best known for introducing the concept of celebrating Dia De Los Muertos to the United States since the early 1970s. He celebrated his culture through exhibitions at the Yerba Buena Center of the Arts in San Francisco, such as Rooms for the Dead and Labyrinth of the Dead. He was instrumental in the spread of awareness, appreciation, and practice of Dia De Los Muertos throughout the Bay Area. The spaces he created, founded, curated, or simply supported nurtured the growth of Chicanx artists and allies. He is also known for his pop up altar installations, such as the infamous Taco Bell Chihuahua, in which he used traditional Mexican beads and candles to show the diversity, beauty, and history behind the smallest, most colorful pieces of his culture. He even received the “Special Trustees Award in Cultural Leadership” from the San Francisco Foundation for his influence over bay area culture in 1998. Unfortunately, he passed away in May of 2018, leaving behind a talented son, a loving community, and a legacy that continues to inspire young artists from all over the Bay Area.
References:
https://missionlocal.org/2018/07/a-tribute-to-rene-yanez-an-artist-who-never-got-old/
http://www.galeriadelaraza.org/eng/exhibits2/archive/artists.php?op=view&id=11&media=info
This artist does not identify as Chicana, female, woman, therefore does not fit into the requirements of our project. Please find another artist.
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