Upcoming Exhibit: Come On Down!

 

I'll have several photographs on display @ the Cheech

Exhibition: February 7 – September 6, 2026

Chicano Camera Culture: A Photographic History, 1966 to 2026 is the first major survey to examine the depth and evolution of Chicana/o/x lens-based image-making over the past 60 years. Featuring some 150 works by nearly 50 U.S. Chicana/o/x artists, the exhibition moves thematically and intergenerationally, spanning early activist photographers with contemporary artists whose work builds upon this powerful legacy. 

Organized with a dynamic mix of traditional and experimental photography—including silver gelatin and digital prints, manipulated imagery, constructed scenes, photographic installations, and conceptual approaches—the exhibition invites viewers to consider the camera’s enduring role in shaping self-representation, cultural identity, and political expression.

César Estrada Chávez: Lost But Not Forgotten Photographs

When I get really bored, I scan old negatives and slides. Recently I found a series on César Estrada Chávez. I remember printing, publishing and exhibiting many of them. This one in particular, I never reproduced. I felt it was about time.

This series of photographs were taken in San José, California in the early 70s. It was at a benefit concert for the United Farmworkers Union. Chavez was in attentendance. I have seen the UFW leader many times before. He was not a stranger in San José.

I have two examples of the photo. One is full frame and the other is cropped. Since I shot the black and white photograph with my Hasselblad medium format camera. The pictures are quite sharp. Feel free to contact me should you have any questions about this and any of my photographs. My website is www.JMMGarza.com. 

Copyright 2022 Jesús Manuel Mena Garza. All rights reserved. JMMGarza@Gmail.com