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.

Red text on a black background with a stylized illustration of a bird, and the words "BOYCOTT HUELGA DELANO GRAPES."

A large, green head of lettuce with a bloody bullet wound on an orange background.

A black and white image of stylized text and strokes overlayed on a patterned background.

An orange screaming face on a black background, with yellow text underneath "¡Fuera de Indochina!"

A person depicted in red, two-tone color, over a green background.

An illustration of a woman on a pink background surrounded by white line-drawings and pink flowers.

A stylized illustration of a person with hands on their hips, in front of a red background.

An illustrated map of the American continents depicted "upside-down."

A black and white illustration of a person in jail, holding a written letter.

An illustration of an iron with an image of the virgin Mary, on a lawn with flowers in front of a blue sky with birds.

An illustration of a person with short red hair in front of a blue background.

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.

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.

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.

“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”