Museum Description
The theme that I have chosen is Family History. I chose this them because my family means the world and more to me, so I know I can find them in the art pieces I choose. I will be personalizing this theme to relate to the craziness and loneliness that come with being the youngest girl in a large Mexican family in Southern California. As well as just embracing my heritage which I haven’t publicly done before. This theme is very close to me as I have an insane amount of family I. Parts of California and other states and even Mexico that I haven’t connected with, so it would be amazing just to dive deeper into the general history of my family.
Impact Statement
I want people to feel comfortable, that warm homey feeling you get after a long time away from your house. I want those who haven’t experienced the feeling of a big Mexican family to feel welcome and included, and learn the experience that comes with it. I want those who view my museum to wonder what family means to them, and what role they play in their family, or how they view themselves in their family. It’s important to have empathy. Empathy is something very important to me, and when people view my museum I hope they’re able to empathize with it.
Room 1: That California Feeling
Room Description: This room contains images that represent “that California feeling” that I feel is an accurate representation of what growing up in California as a person of color. As well as living through the Southern California experience when viewing images in this room.
Braceros
This paintings title is “Braceros” created by Domingo Ulloa in 1960 (https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/braceros-86956 .) In this Painting we can see men behind barbed wire. The subject matter of this painting was during the time of the Bracero program. We can interpret that these programs weren’t designed for comfort as we see the men’s facial expressions as sad. Not only can we interpret this, but we can see how crowded the men are. The artists shows us this by the crowding of many hats symbolizing another way this programs conditions weren’t fit for the amount of people held in these programs. this image because of the story it evoked in me and the people I see in it. The overall meaning that Ulloa had in mind of showing us viewers was to depict the struggle and suffering of these men being rounded up to work. In Braceros not only do I see my family but I see the average Mexican or Latin man that I walk past every day. It’s not uncommon that you don’t see a man who looks just like the men painted in Braceros. These men could be someone’s son, dad, grandpa, cousin, or brother. In these men I can see the eyes of my grandpa and my tios. I chose this specific art piece because of the men looking almost exactly like the men that are in my family, who work in the agriculture field. I can make this connection because of how tired they look as they wear their hats; exactly like how my grandpa and tips would come home after a long day in the citrus industry.
California Spring Landscape
The title of this painting is “California Spring Landscape” by Elmer Wachtel and was created in 1920 (https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/california-spring-landscape-25799). In this painting we can see the saturated color of the yellow used to depict the organic shape of flowers. As well as the leaves and tree, yet the colors used for these shapes are warmer colors. The focal point of this painting is the saturated yellow flowers in the left center of the painting, which guides our eyes to the land below. I chose this painting because it fits with that memory of warm spring days in the car with my siblings. I see these spring days in the hues and style used in this painting because it reminds me of my memory of spring almost foggy, but vibrant. I can make this connection because my memory of these spring days is the heat exhaustion from it the SoCal heat, and the memory of my siblings sitting beside me in our family car. The SoCal heat exhaustion is no joke and I think that’s why most childhood memories during this time were hazy/foggy. It’s lovely yet horrible weather at the same time if you’re not going to the beach.
Sin Titulo
This paintings title is “Sin Titulo, from the series La Tempestad” by Arturo Rodriguez created in 1998 (https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/sin-titulo-series-la-tempestad-86033). Through my own Personal interpretation I can see a boy holding a house like a balloon another child in the back wearing a mask and another child’s face backwards. All of these children look like giants. I interpret this painting as chaotic and struggling to find normalcy. This unnormal is shown through Timur the painting with the brush strokes being odd lines in some parts and the trees roots out of the ground. The artists self-interpretation is the lack of stability creating the rise of emotional intensity. If I were to interpret this painting Psychoanalytically I would say that the artists psychological state is in a disarray and that his unconscious is trying to get out some pent up childhood memories that caused the artists to create such a disheveled scene. Through the Feminist Interpretation the crazy out of the place feeling it gave upon viewing it was very relatable as the girl in the paintings face is turned away from the scene; which most times I feel is accurate as a girl in a world where there’s mainly male dominated subjects. I chose this painting because it related back to my theme as I feel like the girl trying to join something that wasn’t ever meant for me to see. That something that never meant for me is shown through the boys playing. It represents the bond I don’t share with my siblings as the age gap between us is 18-13 years. I can make this connection as I see the girl as an outsider trying to get into the crazy situation, but can’t.
Evening Tide
This artpiece was created by William Ritschel it's title is "Evening Tide, California" and created in 1926 (https://www.si.edu/object/evening-tide-california:saam_1920.4.3 .) The form in this painting that really stands out to me is the media. The media used for this painting was oil paint, and it leaves thick lines not blended in. Upon looking at it it looks almost like a photograph, but if we look closer the unblended paint can be seen distinctively in the images farther back in the painting. The colors used in this have a cool tone to emphasize the shadows and warmer tones to emphasize the light. Through this distinction of dark and light we can see the focal point being the brightest rock in the center of the painting. This painting reminds me of the sunny days driving back and forth between Santa Barbara and Ventura, and glancing at the waves from the window. Watching the waves come crashing back and forth on the rocks.
Room #2
This room will be dedicated to my Tata (grandpa), and Nana (grandma) as they were key figures in my life. I just recently lost my Nana so it’s easy for me to see her and my Tata in everything as I reminisce the stories they would tell me.
Earache Treatment
This paintings title is “Earache Treatment” by Carmen Loras Garza and created in 1990 (https://www.si.edu/object/earache-treatment:hmsg_95.20). In this painting we can see the use of organic shapes in the background to create bushes and plants. The media of this painting is oil paint and is blended in creating a more simplistic style. The style of this painting depicts a man and woman, but they don’t look exactly like what a man and woman look like because the proportions of them are cartoon like. The man and woman in this painting are symmetrical in the sense they’re both in the center of the painting, yet they’re assymetrical because of the positions they’re in. I chose this painting as it reminds me of my grandparents when I was younger. My Nana always taking care of my Tata . I can see this when the woman holds over the newspaper to clean the man’s ear; he does it with no fuss. I can make this connection because my Nana was always cooking and making sure my Tata was okay, and my Tata would always listen to what she said.
Tamalada
This paintings title is “Tamalada” created by Carmen Lomas Garza in 1990 (https://www.si.edu/object/tamalada:saam_1997.5 ). The subject matter is a large group of people who seem to be family as they all have similar faces, make tamales. This great effort of this family symbolizes how close they are together in the collective goal of making tamales as they all share a part in the task. The form of this painting displays this families collective effort affecting the mood to be more excited as the family all seems happy to help; a child is on the floor a man is taking a break while chatting with those still working. If the form were to be different we wouldn’t see all the ways that each member of the family works together. Overall the message of this work was to show how unified a family can be when they’re all collectively set on a goal. I chose this art piece because of how it reminds me of making tamales and setting aside a day for the whole family to help. I see my family in the children making an effort and the adults chitchatting while working. I can make this personal connection because it reminds me of my Nana always coming over and making me and my cousin put on our aprons to spread the mass on the husks.
American Indian #4
This paintings title is “American Indian #4” by Fritz Scholder created in 1972 (https://www.si.edu/object/american-indian-4%3ANMAI_278560 ). In this painting the colors are very saturated especially the red. We can see Scholder use geometric shapes for the flag. As well as the style of this painting being abstract. As well as the person in the painting holding the most visual weight since they’re the main focus of the painting and they’re large. I chose this painting because my Tata is an American Indian. I see this American Indian in the flag wrapped around the man in the photo, and although the style is abstract I can see the person native features. I can make this connection because of my Tata always telling me he was native, and it’s very evident as he has all the features too. Yet he is also proud of being American, mainly from Texas.
Cowboy Boots
The title of this artwork is “Cowboy boots” by William Willhelmi created in 1980 (https://www.si.edu/object/cowboy-boots%3Asaam_1981.107A-B). This art work uses warmer colors to blend in the sunset of the boots. Repetition is shown through the designs on the boots are the same even the toes. The media used to create the boots shape is from ceramics. The organic shapes shown on the boots design are the cactuses. I chose this painting because it reminded me of the boots my Tata would wear. He wouldn’t wear boots with that design on them, but the design reminded me of our long trips just me, my Nana, and Tata as we drive through Arizona to New Mexico until we got to Texas. I loved our trips there a ridiculous amount, so that’s why I can make a connection.
Room #3
This room will be overviewing more closely of social culture and how it brings about specific events in the lives of those within the society through our family.
La Natividad
The title of this painting is “La Natividad” by Jose Campeche y Jordan and was created in 1799 (https://www.si.edu/object/la-natividad:saam_1996.91.6 ). The context of this painting is the birth of Jesus by his mother Mary. We can see Mary’s husband Joseph on the far right hand side as well as the angels seeing baby Jesus. This painting was intended for those who believed in Catholic faith. During this historical period Spanish colonization had established Catholicism as the official religion in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The importance of mother Mary is mainly seen in the catholic religion that’s why Mother Mary is painted as vibrantly as baby Jesus, which was intended by the artists beliefs. I chose this art piece as it relates back to my religion as a Catholic. The details of baby Jesus and Mary are important to me as I grew up catholic and everyone around me was mainly Catholic. I can make this connection because it reminds me of how normalized it was for me to know all my family was Catholic as well as the people I went to school with, so now as I get older it’s interesting to see people with different religions.
Justice for Our Lives
This art pieces title is “Justice for Our Lives” by Oree Originol created in 2014-Present (https://www.si.edu/object/justice-our-lives:saam_2020.51A-MM ). The subject matter is posters of those whose lives were lost in tragic ways; such as police brutality and in prison. These posters symbolize the need for justice as these peoples lives were wrongfully taken from them. These posters employ allegory to convey the message of police brutality and the injustice in the system. The overall message is to not ignore the lives lost in hopes of it going away, but facing it hands on so that it doesn’t happen again. I chose this specific art piece as I can see the family members or family’s friendsI’ve almost lost or my family has almost lost because of police brutality. I can see this in every single poster that calls for justice from the system. I can make this connection because of how easy it is to go about your day and then suddenly get stopped by the police for something. As a child I witnessed the first act of police brutality against my brother, but luckily the only thing that he walked away with was a broken nose.
Camas para Sueños
The title of this art piece is “Camas para Sueños” by Carmen Lomas Garza created in 1985 (https://www.si.edu/object/camas-para-suenos:saam_1995.94 ). In this painting we see there isn’t much shading of the children’s on the roof during the night. They’re almost as bright as the woman indoors with the lights on. The focal point is on the woman as we see her before anything else since she’s brighter. Yet our eyes lead us the second most brightest thing in the painting the moon, which creates directional force. The colors used to depict the night are cool colors while the indoors colors are warm. I chose this painting because it remind me of my childhood playing with my cousins late at night. I can see this through the two girls sitting on the roof gazing up at the moon. While we never directly sat on the roof we did just stay up late talking for hours, something I would never forget as I never got to spend much time with my cousins.
Decoy Gang War Victim
The title of this art piece is called “Decoy Gang War Victim” by Harry Gamboa created in 2010 (https://www.si.edu/object/decoy-gang-war-victim:saam_2013.44.1 ). From my own personal interpretation I see that a man is laying in the middle of the street, and from the title I assume he is gang affiliated. From the Artists self interpretation we can see Gamboa is trying the depict gang violence and the victims made out of it. From a Marxist interpretation it reveals that there’s an inequality between classes and the gangs are rebelling against this inequality through gang wars. To look at this art piece from a more modern Post-Colonial interpretation the artwork lifts up the voices of what these lower classes violence brings, and that it shouldn’t be ignored as it is a real problem. I chose this painting because of my familiarity with gang violence. I can see this in the victim laying there in the middle of the street alone even though they were part of a group that was supposed to provide them protection. I can make this connection because a family friend who I consider a sister, her brother had passed away because of gang violence. This could have been prevented if it weren’t for the effects of the culture normalized in the society around us.
Exit Message
Now that we’ve concluded the visit to my museum I hope that you’ve learned through the artworks I carefully chose what it means to be home in my shoes. I want those who have taken the time to read to take one thing out of this visit, and that is to not take the time that you have with those for granted even if in the moment you just want to yell at them. It’s their first time living too.