PRESS CONTACT:
Luke Perkins, Manager of Communications and Public Relations
303.866.3670 | luke.perkins@state.co.us 

“This exhibition reflects the struggles of many who have spoken against social inequities; while celebrating the artists who have documented pivotal moments in history,” said Lucha Martinez de Luna, Associate Curator of Hispano, Chicano, Latino History and Culture. “Artwork displayed in ¡Viva La Causa! helps instill a sense of hope and perseverance in the many who sacrifice and continue to advocate for a just and equitable future.”

With more than two dozen pieces of art, spanning multiple mediums and materials, ¡Viva La Causa! Long Live the Cause!: The Art of Change features bold declarations, provocative imagery, and striking narratives. Visitors to the exhibition will engage with the legacy of social justice movements in Colorado while also investigating the ways artistic creations reflect and inform the identities of social movements and the people behind those movements.

“Social justice activism is one of the prominent threads that weaves Colorado into what it is today, and in every generation, artists create works as a form of protest,” Martinez de Luna said. “Through art, activists address the struggle for social justice and equality, encourage social change, and memorialize causes and individuals which have defined the modern world.” 

Included in the art displayed in ¡Viva La Causa! are the works of:

• Internationally acclaimed muralist, painter and sculptor Emanuel Martinez who has created iconic artwork that serves as some of the most famous iconography for the Chicano/a/x rights movement 
• Jodie Herrera, a painter, muralist, and artivist (artist + activist) who is best known for creating semi-photorealistic oil paintings of remarkable women as well as murals that reflect the social justice issues of the time and space in which they are created
• Denver-based photographer Juan Fuentes who has documented the gentrification of Black and Latino neighborhoods in his hometown as well as prominent protests against police brutality, including the George Floyd protests of 2020
•  Floyd Tunson, a highly regarded national and international multimedia artist who creates art that explores the realities of identity, race, and history

¡Viva La Causa! Long Live the Cause!: The Art of Change opens on March 9, 2024, at the Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center in Fort Garland, CO. The Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center is located at 29477 CO-159 and is open daily from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission for kids 18 and under is free every day.

For individuals interested in further exploring ¡Viva La Causa! Long Live the Cause!: The Art of Change, Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center will hold a panel discussion on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Lucha Martinez de Luna, Associate Curator of Hispano, Chicano, Latino History & Culture at History Colorado, will lead this discussion alongside several contributing artists with works in the exhibition.

¡Viva La Causa! Long Live the Cause!: The Art of Change is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

About the Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center
Fort Garland was built in 1858, ten years after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, during American expansion into the west. Today, visitors can explore life in a nineteenth century military fort by walking the parade grounds and touring five of the original adobe buildings. The Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center is a community museum of History Colorado.

The Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center is located at 29477 CO-159, Fort Garland, Colorado, and is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit www.FortGarlandMuseum.org or call 719-379-3512 for more information. 

Sobre el Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center
Fuerte Garland fue construido en 1858, diez años después del Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo, durante la expansión estadounidense al oeste americano. Hoy los visitantes pueden explorar la vida diaria en un fuerte militar del siglo XIX por caminar el campo de desfiles y visitar cinco de los edificios originales de adobe. El Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center es un museo de History Colorado.

El Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center es ubicado en 29477 CO-159, Fort Garland, Colorado. El horario del museo es 9 a.m. a 5 p.m., cada día. Para más información se puede visitar www.FortGarlandMuseum.org o llamar por 719-379-3512.

About History Colorado
History Colorado is a division of the Colorado Department of Higher Education and a 501(c)3 non-profit that has served more than 75,000 students and 500,000 people in Colorado each year. It is a 144-year-old institution that operates eleven museums and historic sites, a free public research center, the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation which provides technical assistance, educational opportunities, and other access to archaeology and historic preservation, and the History Colorado State Historical Fund (SHF), which is one of the nation’s largest state funded preservation programs of its kind. More than 70% of SHF grants are allocated in rural areas of the state. Additionally, the offices of the State Archaeologist and the State Historic Preservation Officer are part of History Colorado. 

History Colorado’s mission is to create a better future for Colorado by inspiring wonder in our past. We serve as the state’s memory, preserving and sharing the places, stories, and material culture of Colorado through educational programs, historic preservation grants, collecting, outreach to Colorado communities, the History Colorado Center and Stephen H. Hart Research Center in Denver, and 10 other museums and historic attractions statewide. History Colorado is one of only six Smithsonian Affiliates in Colorado. Visit HistoryColorado.org, or call 303-HISTORY, for more information. #HistoryColorado