See historically significant paintings, sculptures, textiles, and writings from Colorado’s Chicano/Mexican American community, including selections from up-and-coming artists as well as such prominent figures as Carlota EspinoZa, Carlos Fresquez, and David Ocelotl García. Presented in collaboration with the Denver Latino Cultural Arts Center, Hecho en Colorado (Made in Colorado) honors the artistic achievements of a community whose impact continues to shape Colorado culture.\\

Vea pinturas, esculturas, textiles y escritos históricamente importantes provenientes de la comunidad chicana/méxicoamericana de Colorado, incluidas selecciones dejóvenes artistas prometedores, así como de personajes destacados como Carlota EspinoZa, Carlos Fresquez y David Ocelotl García. Hecho en Colorado (Made in Colorado), una presentación en colaboración con el Denver Latino Cultural Arts Center, honra los logros artísticos de una comunidad cuya influencia sigue dándole forma a la cultura de Colorado.

The Chicano/a movement—el Movimiento—emerged in the late 1960s alongside other civil rights movements, such as Black Power and the American Indian Movement. Although these movements represented different racial and cultural groups in the United States, they shared the overarching goals of the empowerment of, and civil rights for, underrepresented and oppressed peoples.

Maybe you’ve heard about noted Chicano leaders like Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales and César Chávez—and rightfully so. They were critical to the development of el Movimiento. Lesser known are the Chicana women who helped to make that movement possible.

Virginia Castro is known to many as the widow of late Chicano leader and state representative Richard Castro, but, like him, she has a story of her own. She recently shared her oral history with us—you can listen to it here. Read on for a brief summary of her life in Colorado.

Prior to gaining statehood in 1876, southern Colorado was home to a number of important trading outposts. These forts played a crucial role in the development of the Southwest before the annexation of the region by the United States. Throughout the early nineteenth century, the Southwest was a meeting ground of diverse nations and cultures, including a variety of American Indian tribes, as well as Spanish and French traders.

While many people associate this era of the American West with rugged mountain men, women were also critical to the development of the region. In many cases, women took on a diplomatic role, ensuring peaceful and prosperous trading relationships between Europeans and Indian tribes.

The 1960s and ’70s were a period of widespread activism, from the African American Civil Rights movement to the antiwar movement. The Chicano movement, or El Movimiento, was born out of this nationwide desire for change, and Chicano/a activists in Colorado were at the cutting edge of the movement.