Tempe honors Cesar Chavez with art exhibit

October 24 , 2007 by EditorTEMPE, Ariz. - Beginning Nov. 5, an exhibit of vintage posters, contemporary prints and sculpture at the Tempe City Hall Gallery honors the legacy of Cesar Chavez and the artwork of the Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF).

Cesar Chavez was a Mexican-American labor leader and civil rights activist who was born in Yuma in 1927 and died in Arizona in 1993.

Through his United Farm Workers union, Chavez brought attention to the plight of the farm worker through strikes, boycotts and marches.

The RCAF was an Hispanic art collective based in Sacramento in the 1970s, which produced posters announcing dances, educational programs, strikes, boycotts and ceremonies in support of Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers.

The exhibit, titled "Art with a Cause," captures milestones in Chavez's work, including his 1972 fast in Phoenix in protest of a bill outlawing farm workers from striking or forming unions during harvest season.

Photographs also celebrate the honorary degree bestowed on Chavez by Arizona State University in 1992. The exhibit runs through April 4, 2008.

This exhibit is presented by the Tempe Historical Museum and Xico Inc.

Xico Inc. is a multidisciplinary arts organization created to promote Latino and Native American arts and culture through community-based arts programs.

Since March 31, 2004, the City of Tempe has honored Cesar Chavez with an annual paid holiday for employees. The gallery is located on the lower level of City Hall, 31 E. Fifth St. For more information on exhibits, visit:
www.tempe.gov/arts/exhibitions/cityhall.htm.