Chicano culture carried on in new Barrio Logan exhibit
The Royal Chicano Air Force is on full display.
Ava Kershner
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“If you could describe this exhibit in one word, what would that word be?” I asked.
“I would say resilience,” said Valerie Jaimes, Executive Director of the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center.
Resilience in art, and in the movement.
“You know, a lot of these pieces are late in the 70s when the Chicano movement was very activated. But … it's still here, we're still present and we're still carrying it on and never necessarily ended,” said Jaimes.
Pieces by Ricardo Favela bring the Chicano movement to the wall of the museum and cultural center.
His cartoons, ceramics, and style defying the methods he was taught.
“He was a classically trained artist. He found great difficulty in trying to emulate a colonized, you know, European version of what fine art was because he in his, in his heart, in his, in his own mind was like, no, that's not me,” said Floretina Favela, the Co-Curator of the exhibit and daughter of Ricardo.
Favela was a part of the Royal Chicano Air Force- it's not a military organization, but rather an art movement.
As the artist spread the message to the younger generation, he also brought it to his family.
“How do you think he would feel knowing that you're continuing his legacy today?” I asked.
“I never have to question whether or not my dad is proud of me. He's always told us he was proud of us. As an educator, his goal was always to pass on the baton. So, he was an educator for many years,’ said Floretina Favela.
Now as people admire the cultural pride across the walls, Favela’s message of empowerment lives on.
For more about the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center, head to their website.