Cocina Jaiteca by Larry Yanez Cocina is Spanish for kitchen. Jaiteca, pronounced “high-tech-a,” is a word the artist invented as a joke. This kitchen,

Cocina Jaiteca by Larry Yanez Cocina is Spanish for kitchen. Jaiteca, pronounced high-tech-a, is a word the artist invented as a joke. This kitchen, based on the artists childhood memories of family kitchens, is not very high-tech at all. LatinoFamily

Mis Hermanos by Jesse Trevio This is a painting of the artist (center, in the striped shirt) and his brothers. Trevio has said that the family structure and social organization of the Chicano community provides a reference point for his work. LatinoFamily

Camas para Sueos (Beds for Dreams) by Carmen Lomas Garza Garza painted herself as a child, sitting on the roof of her house with her sister as they both dream about being artists. LatinoFamily

Our Lady of Guadalupe by Pedro Antonio Fresqus The Virgin of Guadalupe represents the essential and unifying force for all Mexican Americans. She is ubiquitous: she appears not only on altars in churches and in homes across the Southwest, but also in restaurants and beauty parlors, on automobile decals, murals, and tattoos. LatinoTradition

Drawing for Southwest Pieta by Luis Jimnez This preparatory drawing for a public sculpture in Albuquerque is based on an Aztec myth. References to Aztec culture are a common element in Latino art. LatinoTradition

Tapestry Weave Rag Jerga by Agueda Martnez Martnez woven designs incorporate the influence of many cultures, including Navajo and Pueblo Indians and Spanish Settlers. LatinoTradition

Placa/Rollcall by Charles "Chaz" Bojrquez Graffiti artists are closely identified by a graphic signature or tag. Bojrquez incorporated the tags of many of his friends into this roll call. LatinoIdentity

El Chandelier by Pepn Osorio Osorios artwork is often about transformation. He has covered this chandelier with objects that relate to the lives, traditions, and identity of a Latino family including toys and religious objects. LatinoIdentity

Las Tres Maras by Judith F. Baca In this provocative reinterpretation of the three Marys of the Crucifixion, Baca explores personal and cultural identity. Two very different Chicano women flank a mirror so that the viewer becomes the third figure in this exploration of identity. LatinoIdentity

The Protagonist of an Endless Story by Angel Rodrguez-Daz A portrait of the author Sandra Cisneros as a young woman. LatinoHeroes

Farm Workers' Altar by Emanuel Martinez Cesar Chavez, who founded the United Farm Workers Union in 1963, marked the end of his 25- day hunger strike in support of the farm workers' struggle in Southern California by celebrating Mass with Robert Kennedy in front of this altar. LatinoHeroes

Sueno (Dream: Eve Before Adam) by Alfredo Arreguin The face of Frida Kahlo is hidden in each panel of this triptych. LatinoHeroes

Sun Mad by Ester Hernandez This poster transforms a recognizable brand image to protest unfair treatment for farm workers. LatinoConflict

Guerra! By Arturo Alonzo Sandoval This artwork, titled War combines the imagery of the American flag with a question about the 500 years of conflict in the Americas since the arrival of Columbus. Plastic skeletons are woven into the netting that makes up the stripes of the flag. LatinoConflict

Where Tears Can't Stop by Carlos Alfonzo Alfonzo combines teardrops and religious symbols into an artwork representing the fear and hardship he experienced when emigrating from Cuba and suffering from AIDS. The piece is constructed of several pieces of canvas sewn together, perhaps evoking an AIDS quilt, and painted roughly as though in a state of high emotion. LatinoConflict

A Matter of Trust by Maria Castagliola Castagliola constructed this piece out of sealed envelopes, each containing a secret donated by another member of the Cuban community in Florida. These secrets, a symbol of the trust that binds the immigrant community, are protected between fiberglass screens. LatinoCommunity

Puerto Rican Flag by Joseph Rodrguez The brightest element of this rundown street in Spanish Harlem is the sign with the Puerto Rican flag. LatinoCommunity

Model for "Fiesta by Luis Jimnez A fiesta is an outdoor party and a chance for a community to express and celebrate their culture. When planning a work of outdoor sculpture, Jimnez chose to celebrate the Mexican- American fiesta tradition. LatinoCommunity

Political Prisoner by Rupert Garcia This striking image of a political prisoner shows a figure whose mouth is bounda literal and metaphorical limitation of freedom. LatinoFreedom

Virgen de los Caminos by Consuelo Jimnez Underwood The central image in this quilt is the Virgin of Guadalupe, a figure travelers pray on dangerous journeys. Barbed wire crosses the quilt, symbolizing borders and barriers. Hidden in the stitching are a running family and the word, Caution. LatinoFreedom

We the People by Carlota D. Espinoza Symbols of hope and freedom clash with symbols of death and imprisonment in this poster. LatinoFreedom

Kiowas Moving Camp by Stephen Mopope This mural study for the federal building in Anardarko, Oklahoma includes a scene of a Kiowa family organized to move camp. The Kiowa nation is historically a nomadic hunter- gatherer culture that travelled with the buffalo. Today there are about 14,000 members of the Kiowa Tribe in Oklahoma. Native AmericanFamily

Wedding Cake Basket by Mary Adams Mary Adams, an Iroquois Indian, made Wedding Cake Basket in 1986 for the twenty- fifth wedding anniversary of one of her children. Her masterpiece weaves the western European ritual of the wedding cake with splint basket making practiced by the Iroquoian peoples since the late eighteenth century. Native AmericanFamily

Story Teller by Velino Shije Herrera This image explores the relationship between tradition and change in Pueblo Indian life. Traditions, in the form of stories, are still passed down through generations. The use of gouache, however, is a European method that the artist was taught through classes funded by the federal government. Native AmericanTradition

Kiowa Buffalo Dancer by James Auchiah Dance is an important part of Native American ritual. Some are sacred, some celebrate victories, and some express sorrow. For the Kiowas, the Buffalo Dance is a war dance. The buffalo was an important animal in many Indian cultures and buffalo dances can mean different things for different tribes. Native AmericanTradition

Indian Image by Fritz Scholder Fritz Scholder is an artist that explores Indian stereotypes. This figure, with its simple title and anonymous face, represents a common view of Native American identityas feather clad warriors at one with an animal and surrounded by open land. Native AmericanIdentity

Shoots Four by R. Lee White This is an artists interpretation of a traditional Native American tunic belonging to the invented character known as Shoots Four. Formal Indian clothing traditionally includes symbols and narrative scenes relating to the identity and accomplish- ments of the wearer. Native AmericanIdentity

The Dying Tecumseh by Ferdinand Pettrich Tecumseh was admired as a great military leader who died in battle during the War of 1812. Pettrichs Tecumseh is inspired by the classical Dying Gaul, a sculpture famous for showing a defeated chief making a brave death. The Smithsonian American Art Museum collection does not contain any depictions of named Native American figures by Native American artists. Native AmericanHeroes

Mh-to-th-pa, Four Bears by George Catlin Four Bears, a Mandan chief, was perhaps the most famous man painted by George Catlin during his journeys west to record Native American life, culture, and leaders. The Smithsonian American Art Museum collection does not contain any depictions of named Native American figures by Native American artists. Native AmericanHeroes

"Joseph by Olin Levi Warner Chief Joseph was one of the last leaders of the resistance against the restrictive policies of the federal government. The Smithsonian American Art Museum collection does not contain any depictions of named Native American figures by Native American artists. Native AmericanHeroes

Kiowa Year 1849 by N. Scott Momaday This print is inspired by the traditional Winter Count calendar system where symbols are entered representing the most significant event of each year. The cholera epidemic of 1849, brought by westward travellers, is still remembered as the hardest year in Kiowa history. Native AmericanConflict

That Is No Longer Our Smoke Sign by Justino Herrera Herrera draws a connection between the stereotypical smoke signal, never a part of Pueblo culture, and the mushroom cloud of a nuclear bomb, invented in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The figures and buildings represent forces that have tried to change Pueblo culture, including the church, the federal government, and the public schools. Native AmericanConflict

Reservation Scene by Louise Nez This weaving is a memory scene of the artists life on a reservation in Arizona. Native AmericanCommunity

Yeibichai Dancers with Medicine Man and Patient by Tom Yazzie This sculpture depicts a sacred Navajo ceremony requiring six men, six women, and two dancers representing ritual figures. The community works together through dance to allow the medicine man to heal someone in need. Native AmericanCommunity

State Names by Jaune Quick-To-See Smith This map of the Americas shows only the many place names with origins in Native American languages. The borders, imposed by other cultures, are blurred and erased by the dripping paint. Native AmericanFreedom

Untitled, from the portfolio Indian Self-Rule by Jaune Quick-To-See Smith The buffalo are an important symbol to many Indian nations because of the sustenance and supplies provided by hunting them. This print combines image of the buffalo and the stars and stripes of the American flag. Native AmericanFreedom

Sunlight and Shadow by Allan Rohan Crite This family scene, set in Boston in 1941, shows many generations of women interacting. The men of the family might simply be at work, but the presence of only one male character, a child, might be a reference to the time. Though the US didnt enter WWII until December of 1941, the country was already involved through volunteers and lend-lease agreements. African AmericanFamily

Family by Romare Bearden The colors, patterns, and overlapping shapes of this collage add to the sense of family connection. Elements of the composition, with the eldest generation seated at the center, echo recognizable family pictures from many cultures. African AmericanFamily

The Harlem Renaissance Party by Faith Ringgold Faith Ringgold's tumultuous relationship with her two daughters inspired the drama that unfolds in her series entitled The Bitter Nest. In this scene, the flamboyant mother embarrasses her daughter at a dinner party attended by Harlem Renaissance visionaries such as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. African AmericanFamily

Les Ftiches by Los Mailou Jones Jones found artistic and intellectual freedom in France. When her Paris teachers questioned the African themes in her paintings, Jones answered readily: if masters like Matisse and Picasso could use them, she said, "don't you think I should?" African AmericanTradition

Empress of the Blues by Romare Bearden This is Beardens portrait of Bessie Smith, one of the most famous blues singers of the 1920s. The origins of blues music can be traced back to the music of slaves. What started out as affirmations and prayers were lengthened into songs with repetitive choruses. African AmericanTradition

Candy Box by Virginia R. Harris Johnsons flat patterns recall the story quilts based on African traditions. Survival through faith and family is the clear message from an artist who wanted to express in a natural way what I feel, what is in me, both rhythmically and spiritually, all that which in time has been saved up in my family of primitiveness and tradition. African AmericanTradition

The Janitor Who Paints by Palmer Hayden Some of the objects in this room refer to the identity of the man as an artist and some to his job as a janitor. Palmer Hayden took odd jobs and custodial work while pursing his artistic career but said that this scene was a tribute to his friend Cloyde Boykin, who was never recognized because no one called him a painter; they called him a janitor. African AmericanIdentity

The History of Her Life Written across Her Face by Margo Humphrey In this self- portrait, the artists life is spelled out across her face in a rebus, reflecting the impact that experience has on identity. African AmericanIdentity

Self-Portrait by Malvin Gray Johnson Like many artists of the Harlem Renaissance, Malvin Gray Johnson simplified the forms of his subjects and occasionally emphasized his African past by including African imagery in his paintings. African AmericanIdentity

Three Great Abolitionists by William H. Johnson In this painting, Johnson honors three famous abolitionists who played an important role in the struggle against slavery. They are depicted clasping hands, with Frederick Douglass in the middle, John Brown on the left, and Abraham Lincoln on the right. African AmericanHeroes

The Death of Cleopatra by Edmonia Lewis Cleopatra, (though actually of Greek descent) is shown here as a strong African Queen sacrificing herself to avoid being paraded as a slave in Rome. Lewis, an artist of African American and Native American heritage, chose her as a subject in 1876, the last year of Reconstruction. African AmericanHeroes

We Shall Overcome by Los Mailou Jones Allusions to positive aspects of African American history and culture greatly overshadow the negative. Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesse Jackson are given the greatest weight in the composition. African AmericanHeroes

Employment of Negroes in Agriculture by Earle Richardson Earle Richardson depicted his fellow African Americans working barefooted in a southern cotton field, but the artist denied demeaning stereotypes to stress the dignity of his subjects. Painted in 1934, this image nevertheless alludes to the legacy of slavery. African AmericanConflict

April 4 by Sam Gilliam Gilliam created this work as a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. on the first anniversary of his assassination on April 4, 1968. The dripped paint and folded canvas create a sense of tearful mourning, punctuated by the violent, dark black, and sickly yellow. African AmericanConflict

Evening Rendezvous by Norman Lewis The abstract dabs of white emerging from a gray twilight are hooded Klansmen, gathered around a bonfire suggested by the hot reds at the center of the image. The combination of red, white, and blue mocks the patriotism that the Klan claimed in its defense. African AmericanConflict

Street Life, Harlem by William H. Johnson Johnson portrayed an elegant couple dressed to the nines for an evening on the town. Style, as much as skin color, was a mark of pride among many African Americans who had come of age during the Harlem Renaissance. African AmericanCommunity

GGG Photo Studio at Christmas by James VanDerZee During the 1920s and 1930s, VanDerZee produced hundreds of photographs recording Harlem's growing middle class. VanDerZee knew the neighborhood and its inhabitants, and shared their dreams and aspirations for self- determination and racial pride. African AmericanCommunity

Spring Way by Romare Bearden Beardens collage of a city street evokes the many-layered history of urban architecture, neighborhoods, and communities. African AmericanCommunity

Landscape with Rainbow by Robert S. Duncanson This idyllic landscape shows a couple walking towards a welcoming cottage, smoke coming from the chimney, that sits at the foot of a rainbow. Painted in 1859 by an artist whose patrons were abolitionists, its possible that this painting represents hope for a future free from war and slavery. African AmericanFreedom

In a free government by Jacob Lawrence Inspired by a James Madison quote from the Federalist Papers, this artwork includes symbols relating to the founding of a free government. The colors red, white, and blue, are dominant. African AmericanFreedom

Escape by Jacob Lawrence This archetypal image of escape depicts a powerful figure, arms outstretched, guiding a line of huddled figures through a threatening landscape past monsters lurking in the shadows. Lawrences imagery recalls biblical and historical struggles for freedom. African AmericanFreedom

Documents

Cocina Jaiteca by Larry Yanez Cocina is Spanish for kitchen. Jaiteca, pronounced “high-tech-a,” is a word the artist invented as a joke. This kitchen,