Galería de la Raza (GDLR) is a non-profit

art gallery An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The lon ...

and artist collective founded in 1970, that serves the largely Chicano and Latino population of San Francisco's Mission District. GDLR mounts exhibitions, hosts poetry readings, workshops, and celebrations, sells works of art, and sponsors youth and

artist-in-residence Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space a ...

programs. Exhibitions at the Galería tend to feature the work of

minority Minority may refer to: Politics * Minority government, formed when a political party does not have a majority of overall seats in parliament * Minority leader, in American politics, the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative b ...

and

developing country A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreem ...

artists and concern issues of

ethnic history Ethnic history is a branch of social history that studies ethnic groups and immigrants. Barkan (2007) argues that the field allows historians to use alternate models of interpretation, unite qualitative and quantitative data, apply sociological mode ...

, identity, and social justice.

History

The Galería de la Raza was founded by Chicano Movement artists Ralph Maradiaga, Rupert García, Peter Rodríguez, Francisco X. Camplis, Gustavo Ramos Rivera, Carlos Loarca, Manuel Villamor, Robert Gonzales,

Luis Cervantes Luis Roberto Cervantes Godínez (born 9 February 2001) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a full-back for Liga MX The Liga MX, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football divi ...

, Chuy Campusano,

Rolando Castellón Rolando Castellón, also known as Rolando Dionisio Castellón-Alegria (born 1937) is a Nicaraguan American painter, author, art historian, and curator. He was a well-known contributor to the arts of San Francisco, California and he has lived in C ...

, and René Yañez in 1970 as a place for

Mexican American Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexica ...

and other Latino artists to show their work. René Yañez become the Galería’s first artistic director and Ralph Maradiaga was the first administrative director. It developed into a community arts center that painted many murals, sponsored youth programs, and gained national and international recognition for its commitment to serving underrepresented communities. In the mid-nineties the ReGeneration Project was started to facilitate the involvement of the next generation of artists. ReGeneration provides emerging artists with exhibition and professional development opportunities as well as opportunity to help plan and manage of Galería de la Raza activities. One of the most visible contributions of the ReGeneration Project is the updating of the temporary murals on the Bryant Street billboard. Through the new Digital Mural Project computer-generated images are created and displayed in lieu of the traditional painted murals. The GDLR occupied a space at 2857–2858 24th Street (at Bryant Street) in the Mission District of San Francisco, from 1970 until November 2018. They vacated the space after a major change to the rent and failed negotiations with the landlord, and they have been working with the city to secure an alternative nearby space.

Programs and exhibitions

Throughout its history, Galería de la Raza has given workshops in filmmaking,

animation Animation is a method by which image, still figures are manipulated to appear as Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent cel, celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited ...

, muralism, digital art, and sponsored artists-in-residence. Important exhibitions have included "Cartelones del Cine Mexicano," which exposed Chicano artists to the styles and techniques of Mexican commercial lithographers, "The Peter Rodriguez Collection of Santos from the Mexican Museum," an exhibition of early New Mexican santos, and "Low 'n Slow," a lowrider-themed exhibit. GDLR was also instrumental in reviving the indigenous Mexican tradition of Day of the Dead in the San Francisco Bay Area and in popularizing the work of the Mexican artists

Frida Kahlo Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón (; 6 July 1907 – 13 July 1954) was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by the country's popular culture, ...

and

José Guadalupe Posada José Guadalupe Posada Aguilar (2 February 1852 – 20 January 1913) was a Mexican political lithographer who used relief printing to produce popular illustrations. His work has influenced numerous Latin American artists and cartoonists becaus ...

among movement activists.

References

External links

Official Galería de la Raza websiteGalería de la Raza Guide to the Archives 1969-1999
at the California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives {{DEFAULTSORT:Galeria de la Raza Art museums and galleries in San Francisco Mission District, San Francisco Hispanic and Latino American culture in San Francisco Mexican-American culture in California American artist groups and collectives Arts organizations based in the San Francisco Bay Area Non-profit organizations based in San Francisco Art galleries established in 1970 Arts organizations established in 1970 1970 establishments in California Art in the San Francisco Bay Area