The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens will host the West Coast debut of “Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum” when it opens Sunday, Nov. 16, in the MaryLou and George Boone Gallery.
The exhibition features 60 works by some 40 artists and collectives on loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, spanning more than six decades of Chicano printmaking as resistance, community building, and cultural reclamation.
“After years of planning, we are pleased to present to our audiences “Radical Histories,” which celebrates the artistry of Chicano printmakers whose works have served as strong voices for their communities and catalysts for social change,” said Christina Nielsen, the Hannah and Russel Kully Director of the Art Museum at The Huntington.
Starting with the late 1960s Delano Grape Strike that led to the United Farm Workers’ formation, the prints capture pivotal moments in community activism. Artists used silkscreens, posters, and offset prints to mobilize communities—often with biting humor, vibrant colors, and unmistakable urgency. They adopted the United Farm Workers’ iconic black eagle, embedding it in works that raised awareness and helped fund the movement.
The Huntington commissioned a mural by Los Angeles–based artist Melissa Govea (Purépecha) in partnership with Self Help Graphics & Art, the pioneering East Los Angeles print studio supporting Chicano and Latino artists since 1973.
The exhibition runs through March 2.
“Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum” will run on Sunday, Nov. 16. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino, California. For more information, call (626) 405-2100 or visit https://www.huntington.org/news/huntington-presents-major-chicano-art-exhibition-radical-histories-chicano-prints-smithsonian. Ticket prices: Free.
