Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Name: Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum | The Huntington
Start: Sun, Nov 16 2025 - Mon, Mar 2 2026
Location: The Huntington

Exhibitions

This traveling exhibition explores how Chicano artists have used printmaking as a tool for resistance, community engagement, and the reclamation of cultural identity.

The Huntington hosts the West Coast debut of “Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum,” on loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The exhibition’s 60 bold works by some 40 artists and collectives span more than six decades of Chicano printmaking as a form of resistance, community building, and cultural reclamation.

Starting with the late 1960s Delano Grape Strike, which led to the formation of the United Farm Workers (UFW) labor union, the prints in “Radical Histories” capture pivotal moments in the history of community activism and the formation of collective identity. Chicano artists used silkscreens, posters, and offset prints to mobilize communities—often with biting humor, vibrant colors, and unmistakable urgency.

The exhibition is arranged in five thematic sections: “Together We Fight,” “¡Guerra No!” (No War!), “Violent Divisions,” “Rethinking América,” and “Changemakers.” Each section highlights how Chicano artists have used the accessible and reproducible medium of printmaking to confront injustice, affirm cultural identity, and engage in transformative storytelling.

Two artworks: a protest poster with a screaming face looking upwards and "FUERA DE INDOCHINA!" text, and a print of a bound figure against a patterned background.

Two vibrant artworks: the left, a woman with roses on a pink background; the right, an iron with the Virgin Mary, birds, and flowers on blue.

Two artworks: A colorful print of a woman seen from the back against a red, patterned background, and a dynamic black and white print with abstract forms.

Two side-by-side images. On the left, a colorful portrait of a woman with dark red hair and a maroon dress against a blue patterned background. On the right, a black and white woodcut-style illustration of a man with glasses and a mustache writing on a piece of paper.

Upside-down map of the Americas labeled in Spanish with "América" at the top and Africa and Antartica as small "mountains" in the background.

(Left) Amado M. Peña, Jr., La Lechuga, 1974, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Amado M. Peña, Sr. and Maria Peña, 1996.47.1, © 1974, Amado M. Peña, Jr. (Right) Unidentified, Untitled (Boycott Grapes), ca.1960s, screenprint on paper, sheet and image: 23 × 17 1/2 in. (58.4 × 44.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Gilberto Cárdenas and Dolores García, 2019.51.6.

(Right) Rupert García, ¡Fuera de Indochina!, 1970, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2020.42.4, © 1970, Rupert García. (Right) Sam Coronado, Guerillera, 2001, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Frank K. Ribelin Endowment, 2020.24.1, © 2014, Jill Ramirez.

(Left) Alma Lopez, La Llorona Desperately Seeking Coyolxauhqui, 2003, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 2020.48.3, © 2003, Alma Lopez. (Right) Margarita Cabrera, Iron Will, 2013, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Frank K. Ribelin Endowment, 2020.24.9, © 2013, The Serie Print Project.

(Left) Alma Lopez, Chuparosa, 2002, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 2020.48.2, © 2002, Alma Lopez. (Right) Charles “Chaz” Bojórquez, New World Order, 1994, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Gilberto Cárdenas and Dolores García, 2019.51.15, ©2020, Charles “Chaz” Bojórquez.

(Left) Jesus Barraza, Barbz '85, 2018, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Samuel and Blanche Koffler Acquisition Fund, 2020.39.2, © 2018, Jesus Barraza. (Right) Carlos A. Cortéz, Ricardo Flores-Magón, 1978, linocut on paper, Museum purchase, 1993.13.4.

Unique to The Huntington’s presentation of “Radical Histories,” the institution commissioned a mural by Los Angeles–based artist Melissa Govea (Purépecha) in collaboration with Self Help Graphics & Art, the pioneering East Los Angeles print studio that has supported Chicano and Latino artists since 1973. Govea is known for her interdisciplinary practice exploring labor, identity, and community. The mural, inspired by works in the exhibition, is on view in a dedicated section of the gallery, bridging the legacy of the 1960s with contemporary movements.

The Huntington will further explore the exhibition’s themes by offering a range of public programs. One highlight will be a two-day conference, December 5–6, 2025, presented in conjunction with the exhibition. The event will showcase The Huntington’s rich collections in graphic arts, works on paper, Hispanic and California history, as well as other archival materials.

Exhibition Catalog

¡Printing the Revolution! The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now

The accompanying catalog, expands on the exhibition’s themes and offers insight into the history of the Chicano graphic arts movement. Edited by former Smithsonian American Art Museum curator E. Carmen Ramos, the publication is available for purchase at the Huntington Store and online at thehuntingtonstore.org.

GET THE BOOK

“Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum” is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Generous support for this exhibition is provided by the Douglas and Eunice Erb Goodan Endowment. Additional funding is provided by The Ahmanson Foundation Exhibition and Education Endowment, the Boone Foundation, Dorian Huntington Davis, The Melvin R. Seiden-Janine Luke Exhibition Fund in memory of Robert F. Erburu, and The Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation.

Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Exhibition Catalog

The Huntington Presents Major Chicano Art Exhibition, “Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum”