The Impact of Chicano Art

TOPIC: How the Chicano art positively affected the education of art in the United States.

SPECIFIC PURPOSE: To influence the audience's perspective of Chicano art in its significant role for the education of art in the United States.

THESIS STATEMENT: Do you know that Chicano art is being taught in most universities across the nation?

I. INTRODUCTION:

1- Many Chicanos came to the United States in the last century massively, however, more than 20 million Mexicans came among those people for different purposes. Some of them have high degrees in different majors, and others are workers in various fields. Actually, all of them have an impact that led to many changes in some aspects like economy, population, etc.

2- I asked myself, what About Chicano art? Does it have any impact that changed something in America?

II. TRANSITION: Do you know that Chicano art is being taught at universities across the nation?

III. BODY:

1- In fact, many artists came to the United States to present their artworks for the American community. Because of the remarkable work of some artists, they became important figures in the art world.

2- A couple of Mexican artists caught my attention for their interesting journey in America. They are Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Actually, they are married and they supported each other in the life they pursued.

3- According to the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Diego Rivera, a painter, who studied as a youth with Posada and other Mexican painters, came to America in 1931. His outstanding artworks gave him the opportunity to open his own exhibition in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. (Diego Rivera)

4- His paintings, Man at the Crossroads and Electric Power made him very famous. Even Non-Americans came from other countries to see his work.

5- Secondly, his wife Frida Kahlo, a surrealist painter, who came with her husband to America also to share the journey with him. She succeeded to open also her first solo exhibition in New York, and some of her paintings were presented in the Museum of Philadelphia as well (David, Lomas). Two of her beautiful paintings are Sun and Life, and Las Dos Fridas.

IV. TRANSITION: How did these two artists affect the education of art in America?

6- According to Jodi Roberts, a Curatorial Assistant, Department of Painting and Sculpture, Rivera funneled his fascination into the creation of three New York-themed portable murals, which were included in his 1931-32 MoMA show. Also,
he presented more paintings that made controversy among critics and American artists, which made his work be studied widely.

7- David Lomas, a journalist who wrote an article about the art that Frida Kahlo did, which portrayed her sad experience with abortion, and how Americans were introduced to the art that pictured that subject to them. After few paintings, she was just like her husband; her work was being taught in schools.

8- Other forms of Chicano art that caught American's attention is the murals and graffiti. Some of the Chicano culture is found in Santa Ana's wall-attended community centers. Many students from Rancho Santiago Community College go there to discover more about this culture (Monaghan, Peter).

9- The best example of schools that teaches Chicano art is California State University Northridge. There is a class called Art305, and they teach the history of art including Chicano's.

V. CONCLUSION:

1- This class gives students the chance to know more about the Chicano's culture even out the art field like the civilization.

2- Personally, I took this class, and I asked I Prof. Betty Brown about the impact of different artists from on the American art, she said: "Beside making art studies in the United States richer and educational, it made the teaching process more interesting and cultural".

Works Cited

"Diego Rivera." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2011): 1. Academic Search Elite. Web. 16 Jan. 2013.

Lomas, David, and Rosemary Howell. "Medical Imagery In The Art Of Frida Kahlo."

BMJ: British Medical Journal (International Edition) 299.6715 (1989): 1584. Academic Search Elite. Web. 16 Jan. 2013.

Monaghan, Peter. "Art, Community And Conflict." Chronicle Of Higher Education 45.38 (1999): A10. Academic Search Elite. Web. 16 Jan. 2013

Roberts, Jodi. "A TOUR OF NEW YORK CITY WITH DIEGO RIVERA." Web log post aricle. InsideOut. Jodi Roberts, 13 Mar. 2012. Web. 16 Jan. 2013.