Melissa Govea, Pachuco Pieta, 2026. Serigraph, Edition of 50. Print size: 20 x 27.5 inches, Paper size: 22 x 30 inches

A version of Melissa Govea’s artwork Pachuco Pieta, part of her installation on view at Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, on view from November 16, 2025–March 2, 2026, is now available as a print.

The Huntington, in collaboration with Self Help Graphics & Art, commissioned Melissa to create a mural for the West Coast debut of the exhibition. The installation features the mural Sangre Indigena, the triptych Pachuco Pieta, as well as other works that highlight the artist’s signature political hand-painted and mixed-media style.

In regards to Pachuco Pieta, Govea says: “I wanted to make this triptych as a homage to Michelangelo's Pietà. The image of a mother holding her child mirrors iconic poses, but it's recontextualized within our cultural memory, and it shows the deep respect for our community and our culture. It prompts viewers to see who gets remembered and who gets mourned. In this image, a mother is holding her child, and they're dressed in pachuco attire to touch on the Zoot Suit riots of the era. I wanted them to have zoot suits—that was one of the main focuses, and her hair being a pompadour adorned with a veil, like Mary does.”

Exhibition image credits: Melissa Govea, Pachuco Pieta, 2026. Installation view at "Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum" at The Huntington, 2025. Photo by Linnéa Stephan. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens