May 30, 2024

IdentificarX, Celebrating ArtCenter's Latina/e/o/x Alumni Community

June 15 through August 3, 2024

On view across several of ArtCenter College of Design, South Campus galleries: The Peter and Merle Mullin Gallery, Second Level Galleries, Hutto-Patterson Exhibition Hall and HMCT Gallery.

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 15, 6–8 p.m., all locations
The reception will feature DJ Más Éxitos (ArtCenter alumnus Gary Ganas Garay)

ArtCenter College of Design is pleased to announce IdentificarX, an exhibition celebrating ArtCenter’s Latina/e/o/x alumni community. The exhibition will explore the complex and distinct contributions our alumni have made to the field of art and design, and their significant cultural impact. The show will open June 15 with over 100 artists and designers exhibiting across ArtCenter’s South Campus in the Peter and Merle Mullin Gallery, the Second Level Galleries, the Hutto-Patterson Exhibition Hall and the HMCT Gallery. The exhibition will be accompanied by an array of programs, including film screenings, community tours and panels, and an exhibition publication.

Recognizing the Latina/e/o/x community is not a monolith, the value “x” in the exhibition’s title acts as a placeholder for inclusivity and agency. It holds ground for the multiple and varied places, experiences, memories, histories, genders and races that co-exist through the use of “x.” It is a visual signifier of expansiveness and brings together wide-ranging conversations about identity and diasporas in art and design. “The name of this show, IdentificarX, is itself a kind of trap door,” writes faculty member Rocío Carlos in an essay in the exhibition’s accompanying publication. “To enter an exhibition under this title is to wonder about language, about belonging, about geographies, histories and futures.”

In the exhibition’s publication, Carlos poignantly describes the experience of being Latina/e/o/x in this country, in this world, and at this institution, observing, “LatinX students find in ArtCenter a new ‘no-man’s-land.’ A vacuum of LatinX culture in the middle of a LatinX cultural hub,” and challenges the College, “[t]he mounting of this exhibition must be a step in the institution facing itself and its role in the solitude of students who work to make their visions a reality.” Copies of the publication, designed by alum Erron Estrada, will be available for free at all locations, while supplies last.

The exhibition features over 100 artists and designers, representing the broad spectrum of disciplines at the College, from Fine Art and Illustration to Photography, Product Design and more. IdentificarX provides a thoughtful look at the pathways and strategies that members of the Latina/e/o/x community undertake to become part of the culture making field.

ArtCenter President Karen Hofmann observes, “My hope is that IdentificarX clearly demonstrates the power of identity and representation in art and design education. Our ongoing efforts to address systemic bias in our academic offerings broadens the discourse with perspectives, experiences and creative contributions from the diverse cultures of the ArtCenter community and the wider world.”

The IdentificarX planning committee is comprised of alumni, faculty and staff. The alumni curatorial team includes: Ryan Perez, Carla Figueroa, Ana Lydia Ochoa-Monaco, Leo Eguiarte, Melinda Paix Arredondo, Ramone Muñoz, Stan Kong, Julian Flores, Olivia Sandoval, Stella Hernandez and Stephanie Marie Cedeño.

IdentificarX and its related programming are results of a collaboration between numerous departments in the ArtCenter community including the Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Office of Development; Alumni Office; ArtCenter Exhibitions; and the Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography.

QUOTES FROM CURATORS
Alumna, faculty member, associate chair and curator Stella Hernandez observes, "The Latina/e/o/x community is incredibly diverse, and I am thrilled to celebrate the rich intersection of identities at ArtCenter while recognizing the outstanding work produced by our alumni. This exhibition marks a pivotal step for our school in embracing and reflecting the vibrant community of Los Angeles, fostering a deeper connection between diverse identities and the world of art and design."

Curator, faculty member, alumnus and exhibitor Ramone Muñoz expressed, "as a long-time Latina/e/o/x faculty member and ArtCenter graduate, I'm overwhelmed by the extraordinary scope of talent in IdentificarX. As one of 11 curators, I shared the challenging, but thrilling task of highlighting the work of more than 100 ArtCenter alumni artists and designers from across ArtCenter disciplines. ArtCenter is deeply connected through its alumni to the international design community, but this exhibition is the first opportunity in our 94-year history to demonstrate the breadth, depth and power of Latina/e/o/x creativity at our College. I couldn't be prouder of ArtCenter, the IdentificarX curatorial team and our immensely talented alumni."

According to Ryan Perez, who is also a curator, faculty member, alumnus and exhibitor like Ramone, "Inclusion is more than providing scholarships and access." He recalled, "when I arrived at ArtCenter, I remember the curriculum celebrating modernism, and though I wasn’t the most remarkable student, I’m pretty sure we didn’t talk about the part where modernism is colonization. We did not talk about the division of land or the exploitation of humans for labor. It’s hard to talk about these things, and IdentificarX does that."

As Ryan puts it "we as educators must decolonize and de-westernize our curriculum — this means including more than one side of the story and honoring the idea that not all knowledge must come from either Europe or the United States. If only one story is shared, that story becomes superior to all others, while violently, everything else is erased. Co-curating this exhibition was beyond meaningful, but it was not easy; it was emotionally heavy, and it’s work I will continue to do. It is one of the greatest projects I have been a part of in my life’s work as an artist and educator. In my conversations with artists, colleagues, family, and friends, I encountered stories that challenged me in the way I wish I had been challenged as a student. The stories connected to the work in IdentificarX will hold space in ArtCenter’s archives, and it has already inspired at the curricular level. Most importantly, it will live in the minds and hearts of those who come to visit this beautiful exhibition."