Bay Area Latinx Art and Activism

The legacy of Latinx art isn't centered at mainstream museums or galleries. Instead, this legacy lies at community centers, libraries, artist cooperatives, and other grassroots spaces, which have nurtured the work and unique needs of Latina/o/e/x artists as a response to their historical exclusion at major art institutions. Bay Area Latinx Art and Activism highlights the important work of artists and provides audiences with a deeper understanding of the people and programs that have been long-time supporters of the community by inviting art workers, activists, scholars, and other stakeholders to discuss this vital history and ongoing effort. Our workshop will shed light on these critical and dynamic Latinx art histories, from those that exist at Stanford University to those across the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. For nearly 50 years, both campus and off-campus efforts have recognized the importance of Latinx art to social justice movements, the imagining of just and liberatory futures, and the building of cultural pride especially when the community faced explicit forms of racism and xenophobia. Yet, this important legacy is still largely invisible to the public despite generations of work and the growth of a minority-majority Latinx population. Bay Area Latinx Art and Activism will work in consultation with Latinx Art Beyond Museum Walls, a 2023 Humanities Seed Grant research project led by Rose Salseda (P.I.) and a team of research assistants and staff consultants that aims to recover the critical art histories of grassroots initiatives. This will contribute to public education, the creation of new records, and possibly create new avenues of research. The workshop will also allow us to network across the campus, region, and beyond while seeking out new stakeholders.