Radical Histories

Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

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

The Huntington
MaryLou and George Boone Gallery 

1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108

This traveling exhibition explores how Chicano artists have used printmaking as a tool for resistance, community engagement, and the reclamation of cultural identity.

The Huntington hosts the West Coast debut of “Radical Histories: Chicano Prints from the Smithsonian American Art Museum,” on loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The exhibition’s 60 bold works by some 40 artists and collectives span more than six decades of Chicano printmaking as a form of resistance, community building, and cultural reclamation. 

Starting with the late 1960s Delano Grape Strike, which led to the formation of the United Farm Workers (UFW) labor union, the prints in “Radical Histories” capture pivotal moments in the history of community activism and the formation of collective identity. Chicano artists used silkscreens, posters, and offset prints to mobilize communities—often with biting humor, vibrant colors, 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.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

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

  • Saturdays from 1-2pm

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

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

  • 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

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

  • 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

• Jan. 24: Self Help Graphics & Art Community Day

  • More details coming soon! 

• Feb. 2: Family Workshop with Melissa Govea

  • *This will take place at the East LA Library.

  • More details coming soon! 

• Feb. 7: Advanced Printmaking workshop with Ernesto Vazquez

  • More details coming soon! 

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

“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.