CSRC Newsletter - February 2012
Volume 10, Number 6
Director's Message
This month marks your last chance to see the CSRC’s two remaining L.A. Xicano exhibitions: Mapping Another L.A.: The Chicano Art Movement and Icons of the Invisible: Oscar Castillo, both at the Fowler Museum at UCLA. As many of you know, the L.A. Xicano project is the CSRC’s contribution to the Getty Foundation’s groundbreaking arts initiative Pacific Standard Time: Art in Los Angeles, 1945–1980. Everyone at the CSRC is proud to have contributed five exhibitions and four companion publications to this six-month celebration of the art history of Southern California. The exhibitions have featured the work of over eighty Chicana and Chicano artists. I hope you will stop by the Fowler before the exhibitions close. And I hope you can take a few minutes to visit the CSRC Library, where we have installed Sandra de la Loza’s spectacular lightboxes from Mural Remix. They were recently on view at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).
The public programming created in conjunction with the exhibitions continues through February (see Events). Watch for an announcement this month regarding a new collaboration on food and art that will run through March 31. As the CSRC looks ahead to new ways of sharing and building upon L.A. Xicano, I invite you to visit the Fowler and the CSRC Library to see for yourself how the L.A. Xicano project reflects the mission of the CSRC: to engage research—and Chicana/o art!—that makes a difference
Chon A. Noriega
Director and Professor
News
Asco retrospective opens at Williams College
The heralded exhibition Asco: Elite of the Obscure, A Retrospective, 1972–1987 travels this month from LACMA to Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The exhibition will be on view February 4 through July 29, with an official opening reception on March 2 and a symposium on March 3. The show includes many photographs and videos lent by the CSRC. Asco: Elite of the Obscure is curated by C. Ondine Chavoya, associate professor of art and Latino studies at Williams College, and Rita Gonzalez, associate curator of contemporary art at LACMA.
ICAA documents archive launched
A major new online resource in the field of Latin American and Latino art history was launched January 17. Documents of 20th-Century Latin American and Latino Art is a digital archive of approximately 10,000 primary-source materials tracing the development of twentieth-century art in Latin America and among Latino populations in the United States. The archive was initiated in 2002 by the International Center for the Arts of the Americas (ICAA) with assistance from the CSRC, which coordinated the U.S. project team. The first phase is now complete, and more than 2,000 documents from Mexico, Argentina, and the American Midwest are available in downloadable PDF format. This is the only digital archive of Latino American art of this scope, and it is available free of charge, worldwide.
The ICAA held a one-day symposium at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, to highlight recent research based on materials available through the digital archive and the experiences of those directly involved in the effort to recover these historical documents. Chon A. Noriega, CSRC director, presented a paper titled “‘The Museum of the Future’: Raphael Montañez Ortiz, Destructivism, and Institution Building.”
Tucker named new vice provost of IAC
M. Belinda Tucker has been appointed vice provost of the Institute of American Cultures (IAC). The IAC now serves as the administrative hub for UCLA’s four ethnic studies centers—the CSRC, the American Indian Studies Center, the Asian American Studies Center, and the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies. The IAC will initiate campus-wide research, educational programs, and collaborations that support a wide range of disciplinary approaches to the study of American cultures. Tucker, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, was associate dean in the UCLA Graduate Division from 2007 to 2011.
Mural Remix artworks installed at CSRC
Although the L.A. Xicano exhibition Mural Remix: Sandra de la Loza closed at LACMA on January 22, major works from the show have been installed in the CSRC Library for viewing through March 23. Stop by and see de la Loza’s kaleidoscopic reworkings of Chicano mural imagery. On Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays through February you can pair your visit with one to the nearby Fowler Museum, where you can see two other L.A. Xicano exhibitions, Mapping Another L.A.: The Chicano Art Movement and Icons of the Invisible: Oscar Castillo.
San Francisco gallery celebrates Malaquias Montoya
Galería de la Raza in San Francisco hosted a book-signing event on January 21 to celebrate the release of Malaquias Montoya, the sixth and most recent volume in the CSRC Press’s award-winning A Ver: Revisioning Art History series. It is the first major book on the influential Chicano painter and printmaker Malaquias Montoya. Both Terezita Romo, the author of the volume, and the artist were present at the event.
Valdez to teach paper fashion design
L.A. Xicano artist and Asco founding member Patssi Valdez will conduct a paper fashion workshop for students from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts on Thursday, February 2, at the UCLA Fowler Museum. She will conduct a similar workshop for the public on Saturday, February 4 (see Events).
Davalos to receive award
Karen Mary Davalos, chair and associate professor of Chicana/o studies at Loyola Marymount University, will receive the 2012 President’s Award for Art and Activism from the Women’s Caucus for Art (WCA). The award, which will be presented at the College Art Association conference this month, is bestowed on emerging or mid-career women in the arts whose life and work exemplifies the WCA mission statement: “Creating community through art, education, and social activism.” Davalos has contributed to many CSRC research projects and is the author of Yolanda M. Lopez (volume 2 in the A Ver: Revisioning Art History series), an essay on Goez Art Studios and Gallery in L.A. Xicano (the companion volume for the CSRC exhibitions), and a scholarly history of the Mexican Museum in The Mexican Museum of San Francisco Papers, 1971–2006 (volume 3 in the Chicano Archives series).
CSRC scholars at CAA
Many CSRC friends and scholars will be presenting at the 100th Annual College Art Association (CAA) Conference, February 22–25, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Karen Mary Davalos, chair and associate professor of Chicana/o studies at Loyola Marymount University, will chair the panel “Pacific Standard Time and Chicano Art: A New Los Angeles Art History” on February 25; the panelists will be Rubén Ortiz-Torres, UCSD; Chon A. Noriega, CSRC director; Terezita Romo, San Francisco Foundation; and Sandra de la Loza, independent artist. Also on February 25, Pilar Tompkins Rivas, L.A. Xicano co-curator and CSRC arts project coordinator, will chair the panel “Tactics Are the New Strategy,” one of several sessions organized by the Feminist Art Project. Independent artists Nao Bustamante, Carolina Caycedo, and Sandra de la Loza will discuss women’s artistic practices that are rooted in activist strategies and address the nature of power structures throughout the Americas. Full conference program and registration information are available on the CAA site.
A Ver series featured at SIGLO XXI
The University of Minnesota Press will feature books in the A Ver: Revisioning Art History series and their authors at a signing event on February 25 at SIGLO XXI, the fourth biennial conference of the Inter-University Program for Latino Research, a program headquartered at the University of Notre Dame. The conference will take place February 23–25 at City University of New York (CUNY) City College, New York.
Miss Bala plays to a full house
Over 300 people turned out on January 10 when CSRC partnered with the UCLA Latin American Institute and Melnitz Movies to host a free sneak preview of Miss Bala (Gerardo Naranjo, 2011) at the James Bridges Theater. The film is Mexico’s submission in the Best Foreign Film category for the 2012 Academy Awards.
ArtTalk draws educators
On January 12, the CSRC collaborated with the Fowler Museum at UCLA to host an ArtTalk workshop for East L.A. high school teachers. Chon A. Noriega and Pilar Tompkins Rivas, co-curators of Mapping Another L.A.: The Chicano Art Movement, provided a tour of the exhibition. They and Betsy Quick, director of education and curatorial affairs at the Fowler, also discussed ways the exhibition could be incorporated into lesson plans. Los Dos Streetscapers—artists Wayne Healy and David Botello—demonstrated silkscreen printing techniques and helped participants create artworks of their own.
Lecture on Hispanic capitalism
On January 31 the CSRC partnered with the Center for Mexican Studies at the UCLA Latin American Institute to host John Tutino, professor of history at Georgetown University. Tutino gave a talk titled “Hispanic Capitalism and the Mexican Imprint on U.S. History,” which was based on research for his recently published book Making a New World: Founding Capitalism in the Bajío and Spanish North America (Duke University Press, 2011). The event was held at the CSRC Library.
New videos on CSRC YouTube:
Two videos were recently uploaded to the CSRC YouTube channel. L.A. Xicano Undocumented Event #1: Mobile Mural Lab features Roberto Del Hoyo, Mobile Mural Lab co-founder, discussing what murals and muralism in Los Angeles mean to him as an educator and artist. This video was made in December at a CSRC community event designed to bring attention to the city’s mural moratorium. The event featured an exhibition, film projection, and an invitation to the public to draw their answer to the question, “Que es un mural/What is a mural?”
Culture Fix: Luis C. Garza on David Alfaro Siqueiros presents a talk by Luis C. Garza at the Fowler Museum last month. Garza, a photojournalist and independent scholar whose work is included in Mapping Another L.A.: The Chicano Art Movement, shares personal stories about the famed Mexican muralist, his connections to cultural art center Plaza de la Raza, and his influence on the emergent Chicano mural movement.
CSRC in the News
"Canon Busting"
Article about PST that focuses on marginalized artists, including those presented in Art Along the Hyphen: The Mexican-American Generation and Mapping Another L.A.: The Chicano Art Movement.
Art in America, January 2012 (PDF)
"Pacific Standard Time"
Omnibus review is illustrated with works from Mapping Another L.A.: The Chicano Art Movement.
"Charlotte's First Baby of 2012 Sparks Anti-Latino Hate"
Article mentions the CSRC's report on hate speech on commercial talk radio.
Colorlines, January 24, 2012 (PDF)
"Forward Thinkers: Chon Noriega"
Profile of CSRC director Chon A. Noriega.
California Forward, January 23, 2012 (PDF)
"Mapping Another L.A."
Blog post by artist Ana Serrano mentioning her work in Mapping Another L.A.: The Chicano Art Movement.
OK Bye, January 21, 2012 (PDF)
"This Weekend at LACMA"
Last-chance notice for Mural Remix: Sandra de la Loza.
Unframed: The LACMA Blog, January 21, 2012 (PDF)
"PST Review: Mural Remix: Sandra de la Loza"
Review of L.A. Xicano exhibition at LACMA.
Culture Files (Los Angeles Magazine), January 19, 2012 (PDF)
"Mural Remix and the Los Angeles Mural Tradition"
Review of the CSRC's L.A. Xicano exhibition at LACMA.
Pacific Standard Times Blog, January 6, 2012 (PDF)
"Romney's Immigration Stance Will Hurt Him"
Op-ed piece by Alvaro Huerta, CSRC visiting scholar, notes Romney's statements on immigration.
Bellingham Herald, January 6, 2012 (PDF)
Also published as "Alvaro Huerta: Immigration Will Hurt Romney," limaohio.com, January 6, 2012 (PDF)
"Pacific Standard Time" écrit l'histoire d l'art
The CSRC's exhibitions at the Fowler Museum are mentioned, and a photo from Mapping Another L.A.: The Chicano Art Movement is featured.
Le Monde, January 3, 2012 (PDF)
PDFs of all articles are available on the CSRC website.
Events
All CSRC events are free unless otherwise noted.
Undocumented Event #2
On Thursday, February 2, 6:00–9:00 p.m., the CSRC will hold its second L.A. Xicano community-based “Undocumented Event,” this time at El Mercado de Los Angeles in East L.A. The event is co-produced by Mobile Mural Lab (MML), a mobile art space created by L.A.-based artists to foster dialogue and engage the community around matters of public art, and José Luis Gonzalez, co-founder of the historic Goez Art Studios and Gallery. Gonzalez is the creator of the murals at El Mercado, which he began 1984. An interactive presentation plus other surprises are planned. El Mercado is at 3425 E. First St., Los Angeles.
A musical conversation, and paper fashion
La Santa Cecilia draws inspiration from a hybrid of Latin culture, rock, and world music. On Saturday, February 4, 6:00–9:00 p.m., at the Fowler Museum, Josh Kun, curator of the forthcoming GRAMMY Museum exhibition Trouble in Paradise: Music and Los Angeles, 1945–75, will interview the musical group. La Santa Cecilia will then take audience questions and perform a selection of songs. During a post-concert reception, artist Patssi Valdez will lead a crunch-and-fold workshop inspired by Asco’s 1970s-era public appearances as self-made fashionistas in paper gowns and hats. Dessert will be served, there will be a cash bar, and guests will be able to tour the exhibitions Mapping Another L.A.: The Chicano Art Movement and Icons of the Invisible: Oscar Castillo. Tickets are $10 for Fowler and GRAMMY Museum members and students; general admission is $15. Tickets are on sale at the GRAMMY Museum box office: 213-765-6803. This event is co-presented by the Fowler and GRAMMY museums.
Valadez to discuss Chicano art movement outside East L.A.
Painter and muralist John Valadez will examine the development of the Chicano art movement outside East L.A., focusing on Highland Park and Downtown Los Angeles, when he gives a lunchtime Culture Fix talk at UCLA’s Fowler Museum on Wednesday, February 8, 12:00 p.m.
Gutiérrez to speak on utopian and dystopian narratives
Ramón A. Gutiérrez, Preston and Sterling Morton Distinguished Service Professor in United States History and the College at the University of Chicago, will present “Utopian and Dystopian Narratives of the Chicana/o Past, Present and Future” on Wednesday, February 8, 4:00–6:00 p.m., at the CSRC Library (144 Haines Hall). Gutiérrez will evaluate the last fifty years of Chicana/o history by charting the progress ethnic Mexicans in the United States have made socially and culturally, assessing their failures economically and politically, and discussing their prospects for the future. Laura E. Gómez, UCLA professor of law, will be the discussant. This event is co-sponsored by the CSRC and the Office of the Vice Provost, Diversity and Faculty Development.
Olivas signs new novel
Author and La Bloga correspondent Daniel A. Olivas will read from and sign his sixth novel, The Book of Want: A Novel (University of Arizona Press, 2011), on Thursday, February 9, 3:00–5:00 p.m., at the CSRC Library (144 Haines Hall). The publisher describes it as “an enchanting blend of social and magical realism that tells a charming story about what it means to be fully human.” The Book of Want will be available for purchase at the event.
Troncoso presents two new books
New York–based writer Sergio Troncoso will be at the Charles E. Young Research Library Presentation Room on Friday, February 10, 1:00–3:00 p.m., to read from the two books he published last year: a novel, From This Wicked Patch of Dust (University of Arizona Press, 2011), and a collection of personal essays, Crossing Borders: Personal Essays
(Arte Público Press, 2011). This event is co-sponsored by CSRC and the UCLA César E. Chávez Department of Chicana/o Studies.
Kay discusses book on NAFTA
Tamara Kay, associate professor of sociology at Harvard University and co-director of Harvard’s Transnational Studies Initiative, will discuss her new book NAFTA and the Politics of Labor Transnationalism (Cambridge University Press, 2011) on Wednesday, February 22, 12:00–2:30 p.m., at the CSRC Library (144 Haines Hall). Rubén Hernández-León, associate professor in the UCLA Department of Sociology and the director of the UCLA Center for Mexican Studies at the UCLA International Institute, will be the discussant. This event is co-presented by the CSRC, the UCLA Center for Mexican Studies, the UCLA Department of Sociology, and the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment.
IAC Winter Forum and Reception
On Monday, February 27, 3:30–6:00 p.m., the Institute of American Cultures (IAC) will hold a Winter Forum and Reception to honor the 2011-2012 IAC visiting scholars, predoctoral and graduate fellows, and research grant awardees. The event will also celebrate the launch of a re-envisioned IAC led by M. Belinda Tucker, vice provost. In addition to the CSRC, the IAC encompasses the American Indian Studies Center, the Asian American Studies Center, and the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies. The event will be held at the Main Dining Room East, UCLA Faculty Center. RSVP by February 20 to http://iacwinterforum2012.eventbrite.com/
CSRC Library
Friends of the Library program
The CSRC Library’s Friends of the Library program was recently established to meet the educational, outreach, and fundraising goals of the CSRC Library. Members provide support and act as liaisons between the library and community. In turn, the program provides members with unique volunteer opportunities, special interest workshops, and special events held at the library.
The first Friends of the Library workshop will be held during Winter Quarter. Titled “Preserving the Past for the Future: Applying Basic Archival Principles to Your Family Papers and Photographs,” this workshop will provide Friends with a basic set of guidelines for arranging, describing, and storing their personal papers and photographs for long-term preservation. If you would like to learn more about the Friends of the Library or are interested in joining, please contact Lizette Guerra, CSRC librarian, at lguerra@chicano.ucla.edu.
American GI Forum of California collection
The CSRC has completed the archival processing of the American GI Forum of California Papers, 1960–2008. These papers are part of a larger CSRC initiative to document and preserve the numerous regional and national contributions of the post-World War II generation of Mexican Americans. This collection currently totals nineteen linear feet of materials donated by GI Forum members Willie and Helen Galvan and Eddie Morin. Correspondence, ephemera, and organizational papers in the collection offer researchers another view of the often-difficult reintegration process that veterans undergo following their separation from the armed forces, as well as the effect on their families and communities. These materials will also be useful for critical examinations of changes in the urban Latino social and cultural condition since 1942. Kelly Lytle-Hernandez, professor of history at UCLA, notes that this collection has much to offer scholars whose research interests include Latinos in local California politics, Latino veteran organizing, and Latino gender dynamics.
Gronk’s sketches on display
In 2007 Gronk donated his personal archive of papers, photos, and ephemera to the CSRC Library. Among these items is a vast collection of casual sketches made on paper napkins. Through the month of February, see a selection of the sketches in our new vitrine gallery space outside the library. Gronk’s documentary film No Movie: A Journey through the Archives of a Man Named Gronk (2005), distributed by the CSRC, is playing in the same display case.
New intern joins the team
The CSRC Library is pleased to have Michelle Rojas as its new graduate student intern. Michelle is a second-year student pursuing an MLIS degree in the UCLA Department of Information Studies. Her research interests center on the relationship between the Latino community and repositories, such as the CSRC, whose resources contribute to Latino literacy and education. Michelle will be working on the Mexican American Bar Association (MABA) papers. Welcome, Michelle!
Puente Program students to visit CSRC
Forty Cypress College students in the Puente Program, plus a number of international students from the college, will tour the CSRC Library on Thursday, February 23. Their visit will be part of a full-day tour of significant academic resources for Chicano studies students; they will visit UCSB and USC as well. This is the second year the CSRC has hosted students from this program.
Guerra to present
CSRC Librarian Lizette Guerra will present a paper titled “Archiving Comunidad: The LGBT and Mujeres Initiative at the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center” at the 2012 Joint Conference of Librarians of Color (JCLC), to be held in Kansas City, Missouri, on September 19–23.
CSRC Press
Report on groundbreaking Mexican segregation case
In 1943 Doss v. Bernal successfully challenged the residential segregation of Mexican Americans in Orange County, resulting in one of the earliest legal victories against racial housing covenants in the United States. Despite this, the case’s importance is rarely acknowledged. Authors Robert Chao Romero and Luis Fernando Fernandez discuss why Bernal is so significant in Doss v. Bernal: Ending Mexican Apartheid in Orange County, CSRC Research Report No. 14. The report will be available online in mid-February.