¡Printing the Revolution! Exhibition Preview

On November 19, 2020 the Smithsonian American Art Museum celebrate the opening of its 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.

Artists Juan Fuentes, Ester Hernandez, and Zeke Peña participated in 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 activist collecting and the growth of SAAM’s Chicanx graphics collection with collectors Gil Cárdenas, Ricardo and Harriett Romo, Rosa Terrazas, 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.