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Galería de la Raza, one of the
nation’s most stable and cutting-edge Latino arts organizations, celebrates its fortieth
birthday this year. Since its founding in 1970, Galería de la Raza has conducted programs
serving Latino audiences and artists. Born of the legacy of cultural activism, Galería
defines itself as a place of cultural affirmation and self-discovery for the founding
Chicano community. In the 1970s, Galería organized the first community mural program in
the United States, re-introduced Frida Kahlo's work to the American public, and was at
the forefront of reclaiming images and practices from popular traditions that not only
reflected but helped form El Movimiento. For example, Galería was responsible for
establishing the Mexican celebration of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in San
Francisco as an articulation of Chicano and Latino aesthetics.
In
the eighties, Galería began presenting temporary painted murals
on a large billboard attached to the outside wall of its 24th and
Bryant Street building. In the mid-nineties, artist and board member
Amalia Mesa-Bains developed the ReGeneration Project to provide
emerging artists with exhibition and professional development opportunities
and to directly involve young Latino artists in the planning and
management of Galería activities. Project participants created the
Digital Mural Project, an ongoing public art program that replaced
the painted temporary murals on Galería’s billboard with computer-generated
images. The current exhibition presents a selection of these digital
murals, with commentary on the individual artists and the significance
of each mural image.
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