Carmen Lomas Garza: A Retrospective, 2002-2003.
Born in Kingsville, Texas in 1948, Carmen Lomas Garza has established herself as perhaps the leading artist of Chicano life in the country. Her art powerfully expresses the Chicano artist by documenting the fabric of Chicano life in her vivid scenes of celebrations, healing rituals, food preparation, myths, and family stories. Her themes of love, family, death, and faith have profound relevance for people of all backgrounds.
Although Ms. Garza’s narratives record her childhood in Texas, they also reflect the memories of a generation of rural Chicanos. In addition to her artworks, she has produced a number of award-winning children’s books.
This nationally touring exhibition has been organized by the San Jose Museum of Art.
Ms. Garza’s artworks have been the focus of many important exhibitions prior to this retrospective, including a nationwide touring exhibition in 1991 and an exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in 1995 (the first one-person Latino exhibition ever held at the Smithsonian). She has received three grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Her work can be found in the collections of the National Museum of American Art, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, The Mexican Museum in Oakland, CA, and the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum in Chicago.