The McNay Spotlights Chicana Artists in New Printmaking Exhibition

As readers may recall from the McNay’s 2012 exhibition “Estampas De Le Raza: Contemporary Prints from the Romo Collection,” Drs. Harriett and Ricardo Romo gifted the museum an incredible portfolio of more than 60 prints by significant Latino/a artists (including San Antonio’s own Joe Lopez, Michael Menchaca, John A. Hernandez, Leticia V. Huerta, Juan Miguel Ramos, Alex Rubio, Vincent Valdez, Rolando Briseño and Celina Hinojosa).  Now seven years later, McNay prints and drawings curator Lyle Williams has revisited the Romo Collection with a sharpened eye on women artists for the group show “Estampas Chicanas.” The exhibition statement reads, “One of the great myths about such important social developments as the Chicano labor movement is that they are progressive on all fronts. However, many Chicana women, especially Chicana artists, have been excluded. This exhibition focuses solely on Chicana artists, many of whom have had to fight to make their voices heard.” A compact exhibition of 19 prints by women artists including Judy Baca, Barbara Carrasco, Melanie Cervantes, Alma López, Isabel Martinez, Maria Natividad and Patssi Valdez, “Estampas Chicanas” comes to light this week with a lunchtime “One-on-One” discussion in which museum staffer Liz Paris will highlight Baca’s 2002 print Absolutely Chicana ($5-$10, noon-1pm Wed, Jan. 23) and an evening performance of ¡No Es Justo! Emma Tenayuca’s Struggle for Justice, a dramatic interpretation of Carmen Tafolla, Sharyll Tenayuca and Terry Ybanez’s children’s book about the Chicana icon who led nearly 12,000 pecan shellers in a historic, three-month strike over pay cuts in San Antonio circa 1938 (free, 6:30-8:30pm Thu, Jan. 24).

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