San Diego, CA–The Balboa Art Conservation Center in partnership with the Centro Cultural de la Raza will present Preserving Chicana/o/x Art: Conversations on Conservation this month.
Through a series of informal dialogues- artists, community organizers, scholars, conservators, curators and administrators will explore issues of representation, cultural production, culturally responsive approaches to conservation, and community-led standards for the care and preservation of Chicana/o/x cultural collections. The webinar series kicks off on April 7.
As museums move towards diversifying their collections it is important to have an understanding of the investment and process associated with stewarding and conserving Chicana/o/x artworks.
“Conservation Centers like BACC are increasingly seeing more and more works by BIPOC artists come through the labs, which is long overdue, and also a reminder that the time is now to set standards for the care of these works,” said Leticia Gomez Franco, Executive Director of the Balboa Art Conservation Center. “BACC is proud to be partnering with the Centro to engage in these conversations, understanding that as part of our mission to be an inclusive organization, we must follow the lead of communities in this important work. We’re excited to be in conversation with a truly stellar roster of community leaders.”
Topics will include: Con Safos as Self-Preservation–What does Art Conservation and Cultural Preservation look like for the Chicana/o/x Community?; Rasquachismo Beyond Aesthetics: The Sensibilities of Documentation in Chicana/o/x Art; Inside/Outside: Preservation of Chicana/o/x Culture within/out Institutions; and A Donde Vamos Chicana/o/x? Setting Intentions for Cultural Preservation, and will feature notable participants such as Josie Talamantez, Historian & Activist; Maria Esther Fernandez, Artistic Director of The Cheech; Brandie Macdonald, Senior Director of Decolonizing Initiatives at Museum of Us; Victor Ochoa, Chicano Artist & Activist, among other impactful contributors.
The conversations will take place via zoom every Thursday in April and will be accessible to the public for free. Schedules, registration links, participant roster, and additional information can be found at bacc.org.
Preserving Chicana/o/x Art: Conversations on Conservation is partially funded by California Humanities and the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture.