Building Bridges in Time of Walls: Chicano/Mexican Art from Los Angeles to Mexico
organized and presented by AltaMed Foundation
September 2018-June 2020
Current location:
Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT)
Tijuana, Baja California
Virtual Exhibition
Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil
Mexico City, MX
September 21-November 25, 2018
Centro Cultural Clavijero Nigromante
Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico
December 14, 2018-March 3, 2019
Centro de las Artes
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
March 28-June 23, 2019
Museo Siete Regiones
Acapulco, Guerrero
July 2019
Museo de los Pintores Oaxaqueños (MUPO)
Oaxaca, Oaxaca
August-November 2019
Museo de las Artes de la Universidad de Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
December 2019-March 2020
Opening Night: December 5
Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT)
Tijuana, Baja California
March 2020-June 2020
AltaMed presents a distinguished selection of over 50 artworks by premiere artists of Mexican heritage now living – or having lived – in Southern California, gathering some of the most historically significant and prestigious artworks from various collections – public and private – in order to present a range of artistic expression by artists who’ve established a continuously-evolving, original school of American art.
Building Bridges in Time of Walls is a multi-programmatic event beginning September 20, 2018. This collaboration between AltaMed Health Services, Los Angeles and the Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil, Mexico City will present a series of artistic programs focusing on a multigenerational selection of works by Chicano and Latino artists from Southern California, all of whom are of Mexican heritage. The exhibition highlights artists’ cultural connection between their Mexican heritage and American experience, and how their art connects the two countries, even in difficult political times on either side of the border. By expanding the lens of how Chicano and Latino art is viewed beyond its strict geographical home, the exhibit will illustrate these artists’ inexorable ties to Mexico and the United States. The two-month long event begins with the VIP preview opening of the exhibit at the Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil, followed by a series of public programs at the museum, as well as other cultural centers throughout Mexico City presenting topics on cultural identity, politics, and art. The exhibit will be accompanied by a fully-illustrated color catalog with essays by Chon Noriega, Julian Bermudez, and Vania Rojas, director of the Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil.
The roster includes over 20 nationally and internationally renowned artists: Carlos Almaraz, Asco, Judy Baca, Cindy Santos Bravo, Enrique Castrejon, Jamex and Einar De La Torre, Gary Garay, Gil Garcetti, Camille Rose Garcia, Rodrigo Garcia, Ramiro Gomez, Yolanda Gonzalez, Judithe Hernandez, Sálomon Huerta, Patrick Martinez, Man One, Johnny Rodriguez, Frank Romero, Shizu Saldamando, Ana Serrano, Eloy Torrez, John Valadez, Patssi Valdez, and Linda Vallejo. Paintings, sculpture, photography, video, and mixed media come together demonstrating these artists’ ability to forming a unique form of art. The way they have synthesized influential canonical movements in art history illustrates a crucial detail about Chicano artists: they are doing something different with respect to cultural identity, social commentary, political protest, and personal expression.
In partnership with H. E. Gerónimo Gutiérrez Fernández, Ambassador of Mexico to the United States; Carlos Manuel Sada Solano, Mexico’s Undersecretary for North America; and Maria Cristina García Cepeda, Mexico’s Secretary of Culture, Bridges in Time of Walls is presented by Cástulo de la Rocha, President and CEO of AltaMed Health Services. It is organized by AltaMed Heath Services in concert with Vania Rojas, Director of the Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil and co-curated by Julian Bermudez. Bridges in Time of Walls builds on the success of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, the Getty’s far-reaching exploration of Latin American and Latino art; and Before the 45th | Action/Reaction in Chicano and Latino Art, AltaMed’s groundbreaking exhibit at The Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington D.C., and curated by Julian Bermudez. Before the 45th was the Mexican Cultural Institute’s first Chicano art show; it drew over 7,000 visitors to the center during its run from September 5 to December 29, 2017.
AltaMed Health Services serves Latino, multi-ethnic, and underserved communities in Southern California, and as part of its holistic approach to health care, exhibits its art collection throughout all its clinics and service sites, whose subjects reflect the diverse communities it serves. This exhibition is a reaction to the political discourse currently occurring between two neighboring countries. Art has always been a reflection of the issues surrounding society, specifically the communities. While national headlines are dominated by the differences between these two countries, the intention of this exhibition is to remind those in Mexico City and in Los Angeles of our shared experiences; and to break down the walls – physical and psychological – that separate us. Bridges in Time of Walls highlights many of the connections that our community has with Mexico, despite the differences portrayed in media.
In order to advance the visibility, understanding, and appreciation of Chicano and Latino art, AltaMed has formed an Exhibit Advisory Committee comprised of business, civic, and cultural leaders from Los Angeles and Mexico City. Committee members include Michael Govan, Director and CEO, Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Joan Weinstein, Deputy Director, Getty Foundation; Dr. Lourdes Ramos, President and CEO, Museum of Latin American Art; Pilar Tompkins Rivas, Director, Vincent Price Art Museum; Gil Garcetti, artist and former District Attorney of the City of Los Angeles; Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa, former Mayor of the City of Los Angeles; and Zach Horowitz, former President and Chief Operating Officer, Universal Music Group.
Sponsors include Delta AeroMexico and Coca-Cola.
Virtual signing ceremony of the Art and Migration Circuit collaboration agreement
Tijuana Cultural Center
Tijuana Cultural Center Virtual Exhibition National Institute of Fine Arts & Literature (Mexico) website Exhibition announcement Julian Bermudez ProjectsMuseo de Arte Carrillo Gil