Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers | Soñadores + creadores del cambio

Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers | Soñadores + creadores del cambio
opening reception: Friday, June 7, 6-9 pm
on view: June 7–October 6, 2024

The artists in this exhibition are dreamers and change makers. Of Mexican-American origin, they self-identify as Xicanx, a term that crosses national borders and gender lines to encompass the Chicano people’s multi-generational experiences of social difference.

These artists are part of a rich tradition of combining visual art and activism. Some began their work as part of El Movimiento, the Chicano civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s that had its roots in the United States. Others define themselves as Indigenous, drawing upon their origins in Aztlán, the ancestral homeland referenced in Mexican códices and oral histories. The next generation is expanding the idea of Xicanx art while continuing the work of addressing personal, social, and political issues.

The fight by Xicanx artists for social justice is not yet over. It remains as vital today as when El Movimiento first began. Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers | Soñadores + creadores del cambio was originally produced and presented by the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC and The Americas Research Network (ARENET), and curated by Jill Baird, former Curator of Education, MOA + Greta de León, Executive Director, ARENET. The presentation at Contemporary at Blue Star has been organized in collaboration with Mary Heathcott, Executive Director Contemporary at Blue Star; Jacqueline Saragoza McGilvray, Curator and Exhibitions Director, Contemporary at Blue Star; and Jon Hinojosa, President, CREO Consulting.