“¡Printing the Revolution!” Virtual Exhibition Preview

Celebrate the opening of the landmark exhibition ¡Printing the Revolution! The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics,1965 to Now, which unites historic civil rights era prints alongside works by contemporary graphic artists for the first time. Join artists Juan Fuentes, Ester Hernandez, and Zeke Peña for a moderated online conversation about the social justice roots of their work and the importance of Chicanx graphics in American visual culture. Preview this groundbreaking exhibition before it opens to the public and learn more about the importance of building SAAM’s Chicanx graphics collection with notable collectors Gil Cárdenas, Ricardo and Harriett Romo, Rosa Terrazas, and Tomás Ybarra-Frausto who saw their collecting as a form of activism, and exhibition curator and acting chief curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum E. Carmen Ramos. The artists featured in ¡Printing the Revolution! use vibrant posters and prints, installations, and augmented reality to address larger social causes that reflect the political climate of their time, including the civil rights, labor, anti-war, feminist, LGBTQ+ rights, and Black Lives Matter movements. The exhibition offers an expanded view of American art and the history of graphic arts, featuring previously marginalized voices from Chicano art, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals. ¡Printing the Revolution! considers how artists have used and continue to use the medium to engage the public, address social justice concerns, and wrestle with shifting notions of the term Chicano. This program will be presented with closed captioning in both English and Spanish. This event is free and will be live online at 7:00 p.m. For more information please click here.