Documenting the Chicana and Chicano Experience

Jesús Manuel Mena Garza Photography

One exciting project Jesús Garza has undertaken is photographing Chicana and Chicano artists and academics. Since 1967, Jesús Garza has made it his mission to photograph the Chicana and Chicano experience. He focuses his camera on activists, workers, academics and artists in communities as diverse as Los Angeles, San Antonio, Tucson, Albuquerque, Fort Worth and San José. 

From experience Garza understands that the incredible accomplishments of Latinos are often dismissed by the dominant culture. So for 50 years, he has taken on the role of outside observer and chronicler of Chicana/o history. 

Feel free to contact Jesús Garza. Send your suggestions, questions or comments by calling or texting (682) 365-8702. Please understand that these are documentary photographs. Not glamour shots. The photographs have not been retouched. 

Click photos to enlarge

The President

The Academic

The Poet

The Sculptor

The Painter

The Academic

The Photographer

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National Association of Latino Arts & Culture (NALAC) Names Adriana Gallego Deputy Director

Today the National Association of Latino Arts & Culture (NALAC) announces the hiring of Adriana Gallego as NALAC's new Deputy Director.

Gallego's hiring follows the addition of nationally recognized writer and digital media creator, TJ Gonzales as NALAC's Marketing and Outreach Associate. Also, Maria Tapia was brought on as the Executive Assistant to Executive Director Maria De Leon.

"I am pleased that Adriana will be joining NALAC as Deputy Director. She comes to NALAC with multiple years of experience at the Arizona Arts Commission developing grants programs and providing professional development services. Adriana is an alumnus of the NALAC Leadership Institute and has been involved with NALAC over many years. I am also pleased with the other new additions to the NALAC staff, TJ Gonzales and Maria Tapia. We will continue to strengthen NALAC's infrastructure over the coming months with additional staff to allow us the capacity to address the challenges facing the Latino arts community and the larger arts industry," said NALAC Executive Director, Maria Lopez de Leon.

During her tenure as Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Gallego developed programs, grants, partnerships and services in support of arts organizations, artists, universities/schools, community groups and government agencies She served on many advisory boards and committees including the Transportation Enhancement Review Committee, the Asset Building for Artists of Color Advisory Board, the Flagstaff Cultural Partners Arts Advisory Board and the Arizona Public Art Network. As a painter, Gallego's artwork is forged from ideals about equality and understanding rooted in the Civil Rights and Feminist movements, with sensibilities born out of her upbringing alongside the United States-Mexico border. She received the Border-Ford Bi-national Painting Award and has completed several mural commissions in Arizona and California.

Commenting on her selection as NALAC's Deputy Director, Gallego said, "In my experience, NALAC's guiding principles are not only inspiring, but they are transformative in practice. I very much look forward to contributing to this trajectory in the service of cultivating a vibrant, diverse Latino arts and culture sector."

The addition of Gallego, Gonzales and Tapia in their respective positions comes as NALAC prepares for the 2012 National Conference to be held in Philadelphia, PA from October 17th to October 21st.

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Photographs: Spring 2010

I have had the opportunity to lecture, present and travel this Spring. Here is an eclectic mix of photos from the first half of 2010. Please feel free to send me your comments and questions.

The first photo is of my wife Annie in Ensenada. Yes, it was cool near the beach.

In the second photo are Ben Cadena and Ed Robledo. This dynamic duo and others performed at the recent National Association of Latino Arts conference in San Jose.

The third photo was taken at a coffee shop across from the University of California at Berkeley. Here my wife Professor Ann Marie Leimer and our good friend Professor David Montejano talk about my upcoming lecture at the university.

It has been exciting first half of the year. I also lectured at the San Bernardino County Museum and my wife and I presented my work at San Jose State University.

The most interesting and different challenge I have taken this year was a solo motorcycle trip. A couple weeks back I rode the motorbike for five hours through the desert. Yes, it was “muy caliente” ... 100 plus degrees. I visited places like San Bernardino, Apple Valley, Joshua Tree and of course Palm Springs.

Other trips, lectures and exhibitions are planned. Such is the life of a greñudo Chicano lefty artist.

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