¡Printing the Revolution! Virtual Conversation Series

January–May, 2021

This five-part online conversation series examines Chicanx graphics and how artists have used printmaking as a vehicle to debate larger social causes, reflect on issues of their time, and build community. Hear from artists, scholars, and activists about the Chicanx graphics movement, from civil rights–era prints to today’s digital landscape. Presented in conjunction with SAAM’s landmark exhibition, ¡Printing the Revolution! The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now, this series  emphasizes cross-generational mentorships and an expanded view of American art and the history of graphic arts, featuring women, Afro Latinx, LGBTQ+, and other previously marginalized voices.

Discover more about SAAM’s leading collection of Latinx art, representing the rich contributions and diversity of Latinx communities in the United States, from the colonial period to the present.

This program received generous support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.

Featuring

• Juan Fuentes, artist
• Dignidad Rebelde (Jesus Barraza and Melanie Cervantes), artists
• Terezita Romo, art historian, curator, and a lecturer and affiliate faculty member at the University of California, Davis

On January 26, 2021, the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) presented a virtual conversation featuring artists whose work is represented in the landmark exhibition ¡Printing the Revolution!: The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now. The conversation highlighted Chicanx artistic exchanges and mentorships across generations, which grew out of an ongoing and mutual commitment to empower marginalized communities and support global liberation struggles. This cross-generational panel featured artists who have worked in the Bay Area together for years, using their artwork as a vehicle for international solidarity and social change. 

Featuring

• Malaquias Montoya, artist
• Favianna Rodriguez, artist
• Kaelyn Rodríguez, assistant professor in art history at Santa Monica College
• Moses Ros-Suárez, artist and founding member of the Dominican York Proyecto GRAFICA

On February 18, 2021, the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) presented a virtual conversation featuring artists whose work is represented in the landmark exhibition ¡Printing the Revolution!: The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now. The conversation highlighted highlighted the civil rights-era fueled solidarity movements between Black and Latinx artists, which left a visible imprint that continues to reverberate today. The panel featured activist-artists whose artwork supports a broad range of social justice issues. The recording for this program is not available.

Featuring

• Jos Sances, artist
• Pepe Coronado, founder of Coronado Print Studio and founding member of the Dominican York Proyecto GRAFICA
• Tatiana Reinoza, assistant professor of art history at the University of Notre Dame

On March 25, 2021, the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) presented a virtual conversation featuring artists included in the landmark exhibition ¡Printing the Revolution!: The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now. The conversation highlighted how Chicanx artists and print centers have welcomed, nurtured, and collaborated with non-Chicanx artists from the early civil rights era to today, creating a long legacy of influence and support across communities. 

Featuring

• Enrique Chagoya, printmaker and professor in the department of art and art history at Stanford University
• Yreina D. Cervántez, artist and professor emeritus in the department of Chicana/o studies at California State University at Northridge
• Claudia Zapata, curatorial assistant for Latinx art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum

On April 15 2021, the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) presented a virtual conversation featuring artists included in the landmark exhibition ¡Printing the Revolution!: The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now. The conversation highlighted how the ancient world, specifically Mesoamerica, has been a source of inspiration for Chicanx and other artists of Mexican descent. It also explored how Chicanx artists incorporate ancient Mesoamerican iconography with contemporary political efforts as an act of honoring and reinforcing Indigenous histories.

Featuring

• Michael Menchaca, artist
• Julio Salgado, artist and social justice activist
• Claudia Zapata, curatorial assistant for Latinx art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum

On May 13, 2021, the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) presented a virtual conversation featuring artists from ¡Printing the Revolution! The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now who use digital strategies as a form of political advocacy for issues such as immigration, the commodification of personal data, and LGBTQ+ rights. Learn more about how the digital realm is defining a new chapter of Chicanx graphics and how artists use technologically based artwork to critique Big Tech, as well as distribute digital graphics across social media networks as a unifying call for social justice.