La Raza Arts and Media Collective, 1975 – today
Three Generations of Latinx Artists at U-M
During the fervent years of the 1970s at the University of Michigan, a pioneering group of Latina/o students formed La Raza Art and Media Collective. Through self-organized exhibitions, cultural gatherings, and its journal, the collective gathered artists, art historians, poets, and journalists to voice the cultural and political expression of Chicano, Hispanic, and Latin American communities on campus and beyond.
This exhibition revisits the 50th anniversary of the foundation of RAM Collective to reflect on the profound impact of these visionary creators by presenting the four original issues of its multimedia journal produced between 1976 and 1977. The journals are exhibited for the first time accompanied by their galley proofs and original artwork preserved at U-M’s Bentley Historical Library. To highlight the multigenerational links between RAM Collective and today, the journals are framed by original art commissions from three generations of Latinx alumni artists from the U-M Stamps School of Art and Design—George Vargas, Nicole Marroquin, and Michelle Hinojosa.
This exhibition explores the vital contributions of Latinx artists to Michigan’s cultural landscape and the legacy these important historical works have had on campus and beyond.
Exhibition Commissions
George Vargas
George Vargas is a founding member of the RAM Collective, artist, and scholar of Chicano art history. For this exhibition, Vargas will paint a mural directly on the gallery wall that will reflect on the historical cycles of migration of Chicanos to “Aztlán del Norte”. The mural reimagines the mythical place of origin of the Mexica to draw attention to the continuous impact of Chicano culture in North America.
Nicole Marroquin
Nicole Marroquin is an artist, researcher, and professor at UofM’s Stamps School of Arts and Design. For this exhibition, Marroquin will intervene archival materials from UofM’s Bentley Library in various prints and wallpaper. Through research and creative practice, she aims to recover and re-present the histories of Black and brown youth and women’s leadership in the struggle for justice.
Michelle Hinojosa
Michelle Hinojosa graduated with an MFA from Stamps in 2023. Most recently, she was a resident at UofM’s Arts Initiative Creative Career Residency. For this exhibition, Hinojosa will interweave the gallery’s glass with translucent designs inspired by traditional weaving techniques from across Central and South America. Hinojosa’s work will enhance the immersive experience of the exhibition and extend it to the outside world.
R.A.M. Collective Journal
On display for the first time in this exhibition with their galley proofs will be four original issues of the La Raza Arts and Media Collective Journal produced between 1976 and 1977.
SUPPORT
Support for La Raza Arts and Media Collective is provided by the U-M Office of the Provost and U-M Arts Initiative.
