December 20, 2024
Dear Friends and Supporters,
As we close out another remarkable year for the AltaMed Art Collection at AltaMed Health Services, I want to reflect on our highlights of 2024 and express our immense gratitude for your continued support.
Earlier this year, we were delighted to welcome back home all the artworks that traveled worldwide for our exhibition, In Your Face: Chicano Art After CARA. Fifty-four works by 29 Chicano artists–all included in the original CARA exhibition in 1990–18 men and 11 women, 25 are living artists, and many reside in the Los Angeles area. The final venue for In Your Face was Museo Conde Rul in Guanajuato, Mexico where the exhibition was part of Festival Internacional Cervantino representing the U.S. Embassy in Mexico. We were honored to learn that over 4,000 visitors were able to experience the final stop of the exhibition’s international tour from October 13, 2023, to February 11, 2024.
In June, we concluded Imagining a Healthy Future, an exciting new program funded through a PoderArte grant from the Latino Community Foundation. We hired professional bilingual artists to present six workshops in Los Angeles and Orange County, where community members of all ages expressed their visions of a healthy future through art. The program empowered individuals and inspired collective action towards healthier communities. We are proud to have documented this inspiring journey in a book that was distributed to our local elected officials, which you can view here.
This year marked a significant milestone as we celebrated AltaMed’s 55th Anniversary with a Gala event at the Beverly Hills Hotel on September 27. Themed Noche de Salud y Arte, it was AltaMed’s first Gala highlighting the intersection of art and health. One of the three honorees was an artist – Roberto Gil de Montes – who was introduced by LACMA CEO and Director Michael Govan. The art team produced our first video showcasing the intersection of art and health at AltaMed, which premiered at the Gala. Each guest received a gift of a digital print of a painting by Gil de Montes in the AltaMed Art Collection. To commemorate this momentous occasion, Gil de Montes and his esteemed gallery, Kurimanzutto, donated an important painting by the artist called Tú-Yo.
2024 also brought us new team members. We expanded our small but mighty team with the fantastic talents of Adriana Ojeda, Art Project Manager; Isabel Servantez III, Collections Curator; and Alexis de la Rocha, Assistant Curator for Film + New Media. Adriana brings extensive experience in arts project management and a dedication to community engagement. She comes to AltaMed from Meta, where she led the Facebook Art & Film Immersive program. Before coming to AltaMed, Isabel held the role of Curator of Exhibitions and Director of Programs at Mexic-Arte Museum in Austin, Texas, where he co-curated the exhibition Chicano/a Art, Movimiento y Más en Austen, Tejas 1960s to 1980s. Alexis is a dynamic first-generation Latina artist, director, and producer with decades of experience in the arts and production. At AltaMed she supports our many film projects and our expansion of the collection into new media. We are excited to see the innovative contributions they will make to our team.
In the spirit of giving and gratitude, we wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to our generous art donors this year: Rebecca Zapanta & the Zapanta Family, Ester Hernandez, Janine Arbelaez, Roberto Chavez, Bruce Anderson, Anthony Villareal, Christopher Anthony Velasco, Patrick H. Ela & Phyllis Ann Ginter, Ramses Noriega, Roberto Gil de Montes & Eddie Dominguez, Kurimanzutto Gallery, Dr. Michael & Julie Vega, Lisa Duardo, Patssi Valdez, Karen Constine & Ian Wright, and Ricardo and Maria Teresa Muñoz. Your support has been invaluable in helping us achieve our vision of creating the most important collection of Chicano and Mexican art.
We are forever thankful for our esteemed and dedicated art advisors for their vision in guiding our ambitious plans; Judy Baca, Armando Durón, Eddie Dominguez, Alfred Fraijo Jr., Art Gastelum, Roberto Gil de Montes, Charlie James and Ever Velasquez, Dr. Lucina Jimenez, Dr. Chon Noriega, Rigo Jimenez, Dr. George Meza, Armando Ramirez, Ricardo Muñoz, Patti Ruiz-Healy, and Linda Vallejo. A huge thank you to our outgoing art advisors for their contributions; Tere Romo, Patrick Ela, and Zach Horowitz.
As we look forward to the new year, we remain committed to our mission and excited about all the opportunities that lay ahead for us. We ask you to continue working with us to celebrate and support the vibrant Chicano and Mexican art community. Together we can profoundly impact the understanding and appreciation of Chicano and Mexican art, further art and healing, and foster community empowerment through the arts.
Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a prosperous new year!
Con mucho cariño,
Susana Smith Bautista, PhD
Chief Curator, AltaMed Art Collection
AltaMed Health Services Corporation
