SHG Artist Melissa Govea is featured in
RADICAL HISTORIES:
CHICANO PRINTS FROM THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM

The Huntington
The MaryLou and George Boone Gallery 
1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108

EXHIBITION ON VIEw
November 16, 2025–March 2, 2026

Self Help Graphics artist Melissa Govea (Purépecha) has been commissioned by The Huntington to create a new mural for the West Coast debut of Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, this major exhibition showcases landmark works from one of the most important collections of Chicano prints in the United States. Featuring 60 bold works by more than 40 artists and collectives, it traces six decades of Chicano printmaking as a vehicle for resistance, community building, and cultural reclamation.

Starting with the late 1960s Delano Grape Strike and the formation of the United Farm Workers (UFW), Radical Histories captures pivotal moments in community activism and the forging of collective identity. Chicano artists used silkscreens, posters, and offset prints to mobilize communities—often with biting humor, vibrant color, and unmistakable urgency.

The exhibition is arranged in five thematic sections: “Together We Fight,” “¡Guerra No!” (No War!), “Violent Divisions,” “Rethinking América,” and “Changemakers.” Each section highlights how Chicano artists have used the accessible and reproducible medium of printmaking to confront injustice, affirm cultural identity, and engage in transformative storytelling. Govea’s new mural draws inspiration from works in the exhibition—many of which were created by artists from the Self Help Graphics community. As the only original commission within Radical Histories, it underscores SHG’s enduring role as a catalyst for Chicana/o/x and Latinx art in Los Angeles since 1973.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

• Nov 29, 2025 – Feb 28, 2026: Bilingual Gallery Talks

  • Saturdays from 1–2 PM

  • Join a Huntington educator on a 25-minute bilingual exploration of the exhibition “Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum.” Learn and reflect on how Chicano artists have used graphic arts as a means of resistance in shaping a collective identity and fostering cultural expression. Both Spanish and English-speaking visitors are invited to join this bilingual conversation. This tour highlights stories of artists featured in the exhibition and the role of printmaking in Chicano art.

  • More information here

• Dec. 5–6: Historias Radicales: Latinx Identity and History in Southern California (Conference)

  • Friday December 5 | 8:30 AM–3:30 PM

  • Saturday December 6 | 10 AM–3:30 PM

  • A two-day conference presented in conjunction with the exhibition. The event will showcase The Huntington’s rich collections in graphic arts, works on paper, Hispanic and California history, as well as other archival materials.

  • More information here

• Dec. 10 & 11:  Evening for Educators: Chicano Prints

  • Wednesday, December 10 | 5–7:30 PM | Grades K-5

  • Thursday, December 11 | 5–7:30 PM | Grades 6-12

  • Discover the history and lasting impact of Chicano graphic prints from the 20th century in this after-hours workshop. Aligning with the exhibition Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, explore how artists use printmaking to speak to different cultural issues and leave with a classroom printmaking activity.

  • More information here

• Dec. 14: Second Sunday: Barrio Mobile Art Studio @ The Huntington

  • Saturday December 14 | 11 AM–2 PM

  • Join Self Help Graphics & Art for a special printmaking workshop. Create your own foam block print inspired by the artwork featured in the exhibition. Plus, receive a free commemorative poster designed by resident Self Help Graphics artist Alfonso Aceves of Kalli Arte Collective. Posters are limited and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

  • This event also features a performance by Los Jornaleros del Norte, an Altadena-based band regarded as the soundtrack of the immigrant labor movement, as well as a conversation with curators Angélica Becerra, the Bradford and Christine Mishler Associate Curator of American Art, and Diego Godoy, associate curator of California and Hispanic collections, around how Chicano artists have used printmaking as a tool for resistance, community engagement, and the reclamation of cultural identity. Last, Bloom Wild Bookshop, a Los Angeles–based mobile bookstore and California native seed shop that pairs the transformative power of literature with the healing beauty of nature, will be on-site!

  • More information here

• Feb. 7: Linoleum Printmaking Workshop with Self Help Graphics

  • Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, 11 AM – 2 PM

  • Inspired by artworks featured in “Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum,” participants will refine, carve, and print an original image using linoleum blocks. Teaching artist Ernesto Vazquez from Self Help Graphics will introduce the history of printmaking, highlighting its role in social justice movements and its significance for artists of color. Participants will then learn how to transfer their pre-drawn design onto a linoleum block, safely carve their image using gouge tools, ink their block, and create printed editions using tools or a portable press. Throughout the process, participants will develop an understanding of composition, line, shape, and scale while reflecting on how printed imagery can communicate powerful messages and contribute to social change.  

  • More information here

• Feb. 7: Artist Talk: Jesus Barraza and Melanie Cervantes of Dignidad Rebelde

  • Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, 3 PM – 4 PM

  • Artists Jesus Barraza and Melanie Cervantes create work that amplifies people’s stories. Their graphic arts collaboration, Dignidad Rebelde, has supported grassroots organizing and produced many of the political graphics that continue to shape the visual identity of social movements in the San Francisco Bay Area and globally. Their artwork is featured in the ongoing exhibition “Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum.” The traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian American Art Museum explores how Chicana/o artists, such as Cervantes and Barraza, have utilized printmaking as a tool for resistance, community engagement, and the reclamation of cultural identity. 

    The lecture is followed by a conversation with Angélica Becerra, the Bradford and Christine Mishler Associate Curator of American Art at The Huntington. 

  • More information here

PRESS MENTIONS

• Nov. 12 | The Pasadena Now | Huntington Debuts Major Chicano Art Exhibition Celebrating Six Decades of Printmaking as Activism

• Nov. 13 | Hey SoCal | Radical History: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum opens at The Huntington

• Nov. 16 | PBS SoCal | Best Things to Do in SoCal and LA

• Nov. 17 | We Like LA | Things To Do This Week in Los Angeles

• Nov. 20 | Pasadena Weekly | Expression, Resistance and Community: The Huntington highlights Chicano printmaking with traveling exhibit

“Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum” is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Generous support for this exhibition is provided by the Douglas and Eunice Erb Goodan Endowment. Additional funding is provided by The Ahmanson Foundation Exhibition and Education Endowment, the Boone Foundation, Dorian Huntington Davis, The Melvin R. Seiden-Janine Luke Exhibition Fund in memory of Robert F. Erburu, and The Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation.