\u201cI think having this exhibition at Sac State is especially important. Several of the artists were professors at Sac State and students,\u201d said Janina L\u00f3pez, curator of the exhibition and Sac State alumna. \u201cThe history of the Royal Chicano Air Force is very intertwined with Sacramento State, so it\u2019s especially exciting that it\u2019s at the library gallery.\u201d<\/p>\n
The RCAF was formed on the principles of activism, community and culture, which is reflected in their work through indigenous and Chicano depictions, spiritually inspired styles and bright colors.<\/p>\n
RELATED: \u2018In Bloom: an exploration of identity\u2019 art gallery invites students to resonate and connect with queer identity<\/a><\/p>\n Artists Lorraine Garc\u00eda-Nakata and Stan Padilla, two RCAF members displaying art in the exhibition, were present at the opening reception. Over 40 members of the community showed up in support and looked forward to meeting with the notable artists.<\/p>\n \u201cI consider myself a Chicano, so I thought it was a really good opportunity to see the works behind the heroes that I\u2019ve always been curious about, especially the ones here in Sacramento,\u201d said Cassandra Sanchez, a Sac State alumna and Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate.<\/p>\n The exhibition is organized in four parts, with each focusing on different artists and murals. One section showcases the well-known Southside Park mural<\/a>, which has been a cultural hub for the Sacramento community that has hosted performances and gatherings since its inception.<\/p>\n \u201cThis city is filled with so many communities, especially Latin communities,\u201d Sanchez said. \u201cI think it\u2019s very important to showcase this type of art to see what we represent and what creates a community.\u201d<\/p>\n The other parts feature two major recognizable murals in the Sacramento area, \u201cMetamorphosis,\u201d located downtown and \u201cEmergence,\u201d at the Washington Neighborhood Center. RCAF created the murals in solidarity with the broader Chicano Civil Rights Movement and labor movements of the United Farm Workers<\/a>. The exhibition displayed posters that were used for advertising boycotts, educational events and concerts. The mural \u201cEmergence\u201d was a comprehensive political and cultural piece inspired by Mexican revolutionary legacies that showed the bright red colors of the UFW flag and figures that represented the identities of Chicano culture, labor rights and education.<\/p>\n L\u00f3pez says she hopes people within and outside of the Sacramento Latino community can understand the history of the RCAF, collaborative art practices and the importance of public art.<\/p>\n Magdalena Cullen, a junior social work student from the Bay Area, attended the opening reception and was unfamiliar with the RCAF and the Sacramento landmarks.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never been to one of the galleries, so I am actually really excited about it and kind of moved,\u201d Cullen said.<\/p>\n The artists were not only creating at the time but also providing. They gave resources to the Sacramento community through free educational workshops, art classes and breakfast programs to extend their reach beyond the arts. The Centro de Artistas Chicanos<\/a> was formed by the RCAF in 1973 and provided free classes on printmaking and muralism as well as other resources like the La Raza Bookstore and the Breakfast for Ni\u00f1os program.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Copy-of-edit3-600x300.jpg\")
A reproduction of the mural \u201cEmergence,\u201d originally located at Washington the Neighborhood Center, inside the library gallery Thursday, Feb 12, 2026. A student is viewing a different piece on the wall across from the mural. (Photo by Susana Grijalva<\/a>)<\/p>\n