Community is encouraged to learn about the RCAF, its artistic impact and cultural legacy by attending and exploring exhibits, events, workshops, and more
La Raza Galeria Posada (LRPG) is proud to continue its six-month regional celebration titled InFormation in honor of the Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF), a seminal collective of artists and activists founded in 1970 by Sacramento State art professors José Montoya and Esteban Villa, their students, and other community artists. The collaborative effort started in January and continues through June 2026 with 16 art and literary organizations — including museums, galleries, libraries, and cultural centers in Sacramento, Roseville, Davis, and Woodland — presenting RCAF related exhibitions, artist panels, symposia, workshops, poetry readings, and film screenings.
The name InFormation was chosen because it reflects the RCAF’s military humor and persona as well as references alignment and coordination along with communication and knowledge, which embodies the regional initiative.
“I’ve been impressed and amazed at the response to this celebratory collaboration along with the resulting momentum taking place,” said LRGP’s Terezita Romo. “Featuring a cross-section of organizations, InFormation is bringing our communities together as well as shining a light on our region’s cultural vibrancy and the RCAF’s enduring spirit of art, activism, and community.”
The InFormation: A Celebration of the Royal Chicano Air Force grassroots initiative was organized by members of La Raza Galeria Posada (LRGP), a former Royal Chicano Air Force organization that was revived in 2024 by RCAF artists, their descendants, and community supporters (note: it has no relationship to the Latino Center of Art and Culture). The mission of the LRGP is to conduct and promote research on the RCAF and its legacy as well as create Chicana/o and Latina/o cultural, artistic and scholarly activities for and with the community. It also supports the annual Dia de los Muertos observance at St. Mary’s Cemetery, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025.
LRGP’s partnership in RCAF exhibitions and programming at the Sacramento History Museum, Crocker Art Museum, and CSUS Library Gallery provided the catalyst for inviting other organizations to present their own RCAF-related programming.
Participants and Schedule of Events for Q2 (April-June 2026)
While additional activities and events will continually be added over the course of the coming weeks and months, below are those occurring and/or launching in the second quarter of 2026. While programs may be free and open to the public without advance reservations, interested guests are encouraged to visit specific websites and check event listings for more detailed information.
SMUD Art Gallery (6301 S Street in Sacramento)
Now through April 1:
FACE TO FACE: Portraits and Sketches by Esteban Villa & Juan Carrillo
This exhibition spotlights the personal work of two RCAF founding members who helped define the collective’s aesthetic, political, and community-centered practice. Featuring paintings and drawings of people they encountered over the years as well as self-portraits and portraits of each other, it offers a focused look at Villa and Carrillo’s individual and collaborative contributions within the broader RCAF collective.
April 1, 4:30-6 p.m.: Closing reception & presentation: “The Sons of Villa and Carrillo: The RCAF Family Point of View”
Sacramento History Museum (101 I Street in Old Sacramento)
Now through April 5:
RCAF in Mictlán: 50th Anniversary of Dia de los Muertos
Featuring photographs, videos, ephemera, and artwork, the exhibition on display now documents the RCAF’s Dia de los Muertos five-decade observance within Chicana/o history and its impact as the oldest in the Sacramento region. Curated by guest curator, Terezita Romo.
April 4, 2 p.m.: (new date/time)
Dia de los Muertos Founders Panel
Verge Center for the Arts (625 S Street in Sacramento)
Now through April 19:
R.C.A.F. Mid-Flight: The Artwork and Influence of the Royal Chicano Air Force
The exhibition celebrates the groundbreaking contributions of the Royal Chicano Air Force and their blend of media, culture, performance, humor, and activism that championed Chicano pride, social justice, and community empowerment. It also honors their artistic influence, showcasing both the original members’ creativity and the work of artists inspired by their legacy.
Kaneko Gallery at American River College (4700 College Oak Drive in Sacramento)
April 13 – May 15:
Armando Cid PRESENTE! is a solo exhibition of art by the RCAF artist, Armando Cid (1943-2009). Featuring paintings, works on paper, and sculptures, it offers a rare opportunity to see artworks shown for the first time by a master artist.
April 14, 12 p.m.: Community reception
April 18, 12 p.m.: Encore community reception
Kingsley Art Club @ Crocker Art Museum (216 O Street in Sacramento)
April 15, 1:30 p.m. Speaker Series: The Aesthetic Maneuvers of the Royal Chicano Air Force, Terezita Romo
Sacramento Poetry Center (1719 25th Street in Sacramento)
April 20, 7:30 p.m.: Poetry Tribute to RCAF Poets
CSUS Library Gallery (on campus at 6000 Jed Smith Drive in Sacramento)
Now through May 2:
Painting la Comuniversidad: Three Murals of the Royal Chicano Air Force
An exhibition featuring large-scale reproductions of RCAF murals and individual artworks, including posters and ceramics, from the university’s collections. Curated by Janina Lopez, it also highlight the history of the Barrio Art Program and its on-going community engagement as well as audio from new oral histories with RCAF artists and digital guide.
April 8, 12 p.m.:
Mural Site Tour at Metamorphosis in Downtown Plaza parking garage with Janina Lopez
April 10, 1:00 p.m. – 3p.m.:
2nd Annual Art History Symposium (CSUS, Mendocino Hall 1003)
Beyond the Wall: Rethinking Muralism in Celebration of the Royal Chicano Air Force
April 12, 1 p.m.:
Mural Site Tour at Southside Park with Janina Lopez
Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer/TANA (1224 – Lemen Avenue in Woodland)
Now through May 5, 2026
The Sacramento Poderosas Mural and Exhibition features the powerful mural alongside the work of its artists, grounding it in the long-standing tradition of mural making within the Chicana/o art movement. Painted by Ruby Chacon, the mural includes RCAF members Sra Angelbertha Cobb and Juanita Polendo Ontiveros, whose cultural and political activism continue to inspire new generations. Anchored in community-driven art practices, the exhibition reflects the spirit of multigenerational activism and the role of cultural spaces as sites of gathering, learning, and collective action. The Sacramento Poderosas exhibition is a collaboration with Manetti Shrem Museum at UC, Davis.
April 25, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.:
Mural Workshop
Blue Line Arts (405 Vernon Street in Roseville)
May 9 through June 20:
Lorraine García-Nakata: Knowledge We Carry is a solo exhibition of recent works and sampling of earlier pieces, by RCAF artist Lorraine García-Nakata that opened in San Francisco in 2025 and now travels to Blue Line Arts. It includes recent paintings, signature large-scale drawings, fabric and paper pieces as well as a sampling of earlier sculpture and mixed media artworks.
May 16, 4 to 7 p.m.:
Artist Lecture, 4-5 p.m.; Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.
June 20, 5 p.m.:
Encore Reception
Crocker Art Museum (216 O Street in Sacramento)
Now through June 28:
Rebels With La Causa: Royal Chicano Air Force Art and Activism, 1970 – 1990
This exhibition is the largest ever of the Royal Chicano Air Force and explores Sacramento’s groundbreaking artist collective that began at Sacramento State in 1970 and revolutionized graphic arts as a political tool. It features 95 vibrant posters alongside an immersive recreated print studio where visitors can explore the screen printing process. Curated by guest curator, Terezita Romo, the exhibition documents how RCAF artists used bold bicultural aesthetics and subversive humor to create art distinctive graphics and fuel community activism, from supporting the United Farm Workers to launching the organizations, La Raza Bookstore and Breakfast for Niños.
April 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.:
RCAF’s Graphic Legacy symposium
April 19, 2 p.m.:
Artist Gallery Talks: Amar Cid on Armand Cid and Tina Favela on Ricardo Favela
May 10, 2 p.m.:
Artist Gallery Talk: Irma Lerma Barbosa
June 7, 12 p.m.:
Artist Gallery Talk: Luis G. Garcia on José Montoya and Esteban Villa
June 7, 2 p.m.: Film: El Pachuco: From Zootsuits to Lowrides, Joseph Camacho (1983), with Terezita Romo
June 28, 12 p.m. Family Festival: Mercado de las Flores
California State Library (900 N Street in Sacramento)
Now through June 28:
Viva La Lucha: Art and Work of the Royal Chicano Air Force
Speaker Series interviews on their YouTube channel featuring RCAF artists, Juan Carrillo, Rudy Cuellar, Luis González, Irma Lerma Barbosa, and Juanishi Orosco.
May 13, 4 p.m.:
Speakers Series: Stan Padilla [virtual]
June 11, 3 p.m.:
Reading Room presentation with Luis Gonzalez
Spring 2026
Broadcast of its Royal Chicano Air Force: Art and Activism (Steve LaRosa and Toby Momtaz, 2021). Check programming listings for dates and times of film airings.
Additional Q2 participants will include the Machetes, S.A., Washington Neighborhood Center, and Sol Collective. For more information about the InFormation: A Celebration of the Royal Chicano Air Force initiative and a continually updated listing of events and activations, please visit: www.LRGP.org