“Night Magic (Blue Jester)” a 1988 oil by Carlos Almaraz, from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, gift of Gloria Werner from the Carlos Almarez estate.An exhibition that pays homage to the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States opens Friday, Feb. 17, at the Hunter Museum of American Art.
“Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art” focuses on art since the mid-20th century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge. On view through Sunday, June 4, the exhibition represents a major collection of modern and contemporary Latino art drawn entirely from the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
“Our America” presents works in all media by nearly 70 leading modern and contemporary artists of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban and Dominican descent, as well as other Latin American groups with deep roots in the United States.
“Radiante,” a 1967 oil by Olga Albizu, from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, gift of JPMorgan Chase.The exhibition is organized by E. Carmen Ramos, curator of Latino art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He will visit Chattanooga in late April to discuss some of the themes of the exhibition.
“Our America” is designed to show how Latino artists shaped the artistic movements of their day and recalibrated key themes in American art and culture.