A lot is happening at the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center in December

Here’s just a few of the exciting happenings at the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center (CSRC) this last month of 2011:

◙ The CSRC Library announces new contributions to its archive:

Armando Durón, board member of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, has graciously donated papers from the organization to the CSRC Library archive. Measuring eight linear feet, the paper collection will prove an invaluable resource for researchers interested in the organization’s efforts to improve the image of Latinos both on-screen and within the entertainment industry.

Patricia Correia has donated about forty linear feet of papers and artist binders from her former Santa Monica gallery. Since 2003, Correia has placed a special emphasis on Chicana/o artists, and this collection will be essential for researchers, artists, academics, and community members seeking to learn more about the art and artists of the Chicano Art Movement.

◙ CSRC Press offers that perfect gift for book lovers:

Oscar Castillo’s photographs explore major themes (social movement, cultural heritage, urban environment, barrio life) and approaches (photojournalism, portraiture, art photography). In The Oscar Castillo Papers and Photograph Collection (University of Washington Press), editor Colin Gunckel brings together essays by scholars and artists who consider the social, political, historical, and aesthetic dimensions of Castillo’s body of work. Illustrations and a color plate section feature photographs from the Oscar Castillo Photograph Collection at the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center. The collection contains more than 3,000 digital images.

The exhibition catalog L.A. Xicano (University of Washington Press) explores the diverse artistic contributions of Mexican American and Chicano artists to American art and to Los Angeles’s artistic development since 1945. The volume’s six illustrated essays examine the life and works of the dozens of artists and photographers whose works are displayed in L.A. Xicano and document the important role of artists’ groups. The authors consider these artists and their work in the context of the turbulent history of the time, particularly the development of the Chicano Movement. A plate section features works from each of the four exhibitions. LA Weekly notes that the catalog “helps make sense of our unruly city.”

Visual and performance artist Sandra de la Loza presents a wry commentary on the Chicano history of Los Angeles in The Pocho Research Society Field Guide to L.A.: Monuments and Murals of Erased and Invisible Histories (University of Washington Press). Using the format of the photographic essay, she documents the exploits of the Pocho Research Society, an organization dedicated to commemorating sites in Los Angeles that are of importance to the Chicano community but that have been erased by urban development or neglect. By drawing attention to invisible monuments and lost histories, de la Loza asks her readers to consider the broader question of what constitutes a community’s history.

Your purchase helps support the CSRC’s programs and initiatives. Order today from the distributor, University of Washington Press.

◙ Call for book reviews: Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies is currently considering book review submissions for 2012. The journal has many books available for review; please contact David O’Grady, assistant editor, at dogrady@chicano.ucla.edu for more information. And if you have a specific title in mind for review, please let the journal know. Submission guidelines can be found on the CSRC website.

◙ The UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Library invites you to a special year-end celebration. This is the first official event for the Friends of the CSRC Library and gives the Library a chance to thank supporters for their interest for this very special institution. The Library was founded in 1969 and is the only remaining independent Chicano Studies Library in the country. The details:

Cocktail Reception
5:30-7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Library
Haines Hall

Please RSVP by replying to lguerra@chicano.ucla.edu or by calling (310) 825-2363.

◙ To learn more about the CSRC, visit its website.

UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center • 193 Haines Hall • Box 951544 • Los Angeles, CA 90095-1544 Campus Mail Code: 154403 • Tel: (310) 825-2363 • Fax: (310) 206-1784