In 1978, Sierra earned a Rockefeller\/NEA Fellowship in Museum Administration, allowing him to train at the de Young Museum in San Francisco.<\/p>\n
Arianna Paz Ch\u00e1vez, executive director of Arte Am\u00e9ricas, said Sierra was inspired by his experience at the de Young Museum. \u201cJohn returned home decidedly ambitious for his community in his commitment to the representation of our communities in arts institutions,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
In 1987, Sierra, Lilia Gonz\u00e1les Ch\u00e1vez and Nancy Marquez conceptualized and created Arte Am\u00e9ricas<\/a> as a place where Latino community members could see themselves and their stories represented through art.<\/p>\n The center, the only one of its kind in the San Joaquin Valley, moved into its permanent home on Van Ness Avenue in 1995.<\/p>\n Chavez said Sierra organized the first community celebration of d\u00eda de Muertos in Fresno in 1985 with a procession from St. John\u2019s Cathedral to what was once the Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art.<\/p>\n \u201cHe advocated for expanded representation of our Latino communities within the museum, and when his suggestions were not prioritized, he and Arte\u2019s co-founders established Arte as a space that would do what the Valley\u2019s dominant institutions would not,\u201d Chavez said. \u201cHe served as curator of Arte Am\u00e9ricas for many years, connecting Fresno and the Valley to the broader Chicano Arts Movement at every opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Sierra\u2019s legacy in the art world also includes perhaps his best-known work, \u201cThe Planting of Cultures\u201d mural, completed in 1982. He was awarded a public art commission to create the five-story mural on the Hugh Burns state building, 2550 Mariposa St. in Fresno.<\/p>\n The mural covers the entire side of the building and serves as testament to Sierra\u2019s artistic and humanistic vision. It is the tallest mural in the Valley and stands as a key piece in California\u2019s history of public art.<\/p>\n Sierra\u2019s longtime friend Rick Soto drove down from the Bay Area a few weeks ago to spend some time with his friend of more than 50 years.<\/p>\n Soto met Sierra in an art class at Fresno State taught by Ernest \u201cErnie\u201d Palomino, a pioneering muralist and activist in Fresno. Palomino is among the first artists to become part the emerging genre of Chicano art, a movement Sierra would eagerly embrace.<\/p>\n Soto and Sierra became fast friends, sharing a love of creating art despite having completely different personalities. Soto described Sierra as being very methodical in choosing what colors to paint with. He favored muted, sophisticated colors as opposed to bold and shocking.<\/p>\n As Soto drifted away from Chicano art and into marketing and branding, Sierra remained steadfast to painting, creating murals and teaching at Roosevelt High School.<\/p>\n Leaving Sierra after their recent visit, Soto admitted it was hard to keep his emotions in check, but he also didn\u2019t want to upset his friend\u2019s wife, Virginia, who he described as a rock. \u201cAfter I gave her a hug, I went out to my car in the driveway and started to cry,\u201d Soto said.<\/p>\n Soto\u2019s brother Gary, a novelist and poet, also was a close friend of Sierra\u2019s and visited him shortly before his passing.<\/p>\n Gary Soto said Sierra was truly a master at his craft and a wonderful person. \u201cJohn was one of the most humble, sincere and kindest people I have ever met,\u201d he said. \u201cIf more men and women were more like him, we could solve a lot of problems in this world.\u201d<\/p>\n John and Virginia Sierra were married for 55 years and raised three children, Danielle, Kristen and Joshua.<\/p>\n Virginia, who also goes by Ginny, still remembers their first date: the Christmas Catholic Singles Dance in the basement of St. John\u2019s Cathedral. She even remembers the day, Dec. 17, 1969.<\/p>\n Virginia Sierra said she was not only impressed with her future husband\u2019s good looks but also his incredible posture. \u201cHe had such beautiful posture and he walked with such an air of pride,\u201d she said. \u201cHe held his head up and dressed up in a nice suit. He really caught my eye.\u201d<\/p>\n The couple married about a year later. \u201cWe were just stupid over each other,\u201d Virginia Sierra with a sigh. \u201cI am really going to miss him.\u201d<\/p>\n A funeral Mass will take place at St. Anthony\u2019s on Aug. 6 at 10 a.m., and Arte Am\u00e9ricas will host<\/a> a celebration of life in its plaza at 6 p.m. the same day.<\/p>\n ![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/10-30-21-CALA-catrina-2F9A2125.jpg\" "\\"10-30-21-CALA-catrina-2F9A2125.jpg\\"")
A 17-foot-tall version of La Catrina was a hit at the Cala Gala celebration at Arte Am\u00e9ricas on Oct. 30, 2021. JUAN ESPARZA LOERA Vida En El Valle <\/p>\n In June 1998, John Sierra and crew work on repainting his mural on the west side of the state employment building. MARK CROSSE The Fresno Bee <\/p>\n
F. John Sierra was a leading San Joaquin Valley artist and Arte Am\u00e9ricas cofounder who championed Chicano art and public murals in Fresno. SPECIAL TO THE BEE
\n Related Stories from Fresno Bee<\/p>\n
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