Chicano Photographer Show In Southern California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) January 5, 2008 -- San Bernardino's Valley College presents 26 photographs from the documentary series Chicano Photographer by California photographer Jesús Manuel Mena Garza, Jan. 22 through Feb. 7, 2008. The public is invited to a reception at the college’s Gresham Art Gallery on Jan. 24, 5 to 7 p.m.

University of Redlands’ Professor Ann Marie Leimer served as curator for the exhibition. Leimer said, “During the past decades, Garza has extensively published and exhibited several documentary photographic series. The Chicano Photographer series explores important aspects of the American experience, historic events and cultural practices often marginalized by the dominant culture.” Dr. Leimer is currently developing a book on the photographic series.

During the 1970s, Jesús Garza had the privilege of touring throughout Mexico and California with Chicana/o theater groups. From this vantage point, he took intimate portraits of people fighting for human rights such as César E. Chávez and Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzáles. The photographs provide a retrospective glimpse on this period from the unique perspective of a photojournalist and activist.

Jesús Garza adds, “You can not go back to the 1970s and take pictures of iconic figures like César E. Chávez and Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzáles. That is what makes this photographic series so valuable.”

Elements of the series were recently exhibitied in Los Angeles, San José and Riverside. The complete show, worlshops and a lecture were presented by the artist at St. Mary's College of Maryland in October and November of 2007.

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