Artistic and cultural exchange between California and Mexico has flourished since the time when California was part of the United States of Mexico. On view at the Laguna Art Museum from October 15, 2017 – January 14, 2018, California Mexicana highlights this vital aspect of the state’s history through a panorama of works by artists on both sides of the border, from scenes of mission and rancho life through images of romantic Old California, to the emergence of a cross-border modern art scene.

California Mexicana: Missions to Murals, 1820–1930 is part of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, a far-reaching and ambitious exploration of Latin American and Latino art in dialogue with Los Angeles, taking place from September 2017 through January 2018 at more than 70 cultural institutions across Southern California. Led by the Getty, Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA is the latest collaborative effort from arts institutions across Southern California presenting thematically linked exhibitions and programs designed to celebrate the region’s vibrant cultural history.

This exhibition is curated by Professor Katherine E. Manthorne, Professor of Art History at The Graduate Center, CUNY, and assisted by Professor Alberto Nulman, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

[pictured: Ferdinand Deppe, San Gabriel Mission, oil on canvas, c. 1832, 27 x 37 inches, Laguna Art Museum Collection, gift of Nancy Dustin Wall Moure]