Week 4: ¡Printing the Revolution! Exhibition Preview

    The ¡Printing the Revolution! The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now exhibition demonstrates the everlasting impact of the Chicanx graphics movement starting in the 1960s. It introduced me to the profound impact Dr. E. Carmen Ramos has had on the Smithsonian American Art Museum, beyond doubling the size of their Latinx art collection. Her significant approach has offered new scholarship to the field of Latinx art and helped share their large collection to a national audience. The diverse artistic perspectives bring different communities into what the American experience is like, from different liberation movements to current social justice issues. The exhibition includes art spanning from the 1960s to our current day, the art features the good and bad moments in the history of the United States and its relevance today. It shows how Chicanx artists used their graphic art to reimagine the term Chicano from a formerly derogatory term used against Mexican-American people to now explain the changing meaning of Chicano, people who advocate for social justice, for political change, and express their great history and culture. It even addresses the ongoing social justice issues in our current society regarding police brutality, immigration, and racial injustice to name a few examples. The art in the exhibit represents a form of civil rights activism used to inform the public about persistent social inequities impacting marginalized and historically disadvantaged communities. It sheds light on the artistic productions of Chicanx artists who have often been excluded from the mainstream art world and art history. They created their own art legacy that exhibits the richness of Chicanx culture and history that has been commonly overlooked in the United States. This exhibit not only provides the opportunity to view different monumental artworks but also learn about the pivotal role Chicanx artists played in building solidarity, fighting injustice, and shaping the world of art overall.

Free Los Siete by Yolanda López