Media Contact: Alondra Ponce, alondra.ponce.432@my.csun.edu, or Carmen Ramos Chandler, carmen.chandler@csun.edu, (818) 677-2130
California State University, Northridge, will be presenting “Bajitas y Suavecitas,” an art exhibit that focuses on women leaders in lowrider culture, this spring in the university’s Art Galleries.
An opening reception is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Jan. 30, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The exhibit runs through Thursday, March 13, at the galleries located at 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge.
“This show is like giving flowers to the culture that I love, lowriding, and also, as a feminist, being able to celebrate the women of the culture is a blessing and a joy,” said Chicana/o studies professor Denise Sandoval, curator of the exhibit.
The exhibition showcases the Chicano history of today and connects it to the past, to honor the women of lowrider culture and embracing their strength and beauty, in hopes of empowering the next generation, Sandoval said.
“Bajitas y Suavecitas” features 15 Chicana artists whose work includes paintings, photographs and portraits. The exhibition also features a display of female zoot suits, a style worn during World War II by Mexican American youth to resist the predominant culture’s conservative attire and to create their own culture.
During the Chicano movement, Sandoval said, Chicanas were creating art for their community, building upon a long legacy of artists who have centered the lives of Chicanas, which was important in building a feminist point of view for Chicanos and raising awareness of issues such as sexism and equality.
“Another section of the exhibition will feature women who work in car customizing, which has quickly evolved in the last eight years,” Sandoval said. “The change has happened through Generation X, who opened their garage doors to teach women some of the skills.”
Attendees of the exhibition will get an opportunity to meet some of the Chicana artists during the “Bajitas y Suavecitas Tardeada,” which will take place from 12 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8. The event includes a curator tour and artist talk from 1 to 3 p.m.
Early issues of Lowrider magazine from the late 1970s are also featured in the show, which includes a section called “Lowrider Pasados,” where readers were encouraged to send in photos of their family members in zoot suits.
“When I look at these early issues, it was like looking at a community history magazine around lowriding, archiving history,” Sandoval said. “Women have always participated in lowriding culture, but they have gained a stronger presence in the last seven years.
“I think people would love to come celebrate cultura Chicana, lowriding and gain a new point of view of what lowriding looks like through the eyes of Chicana artists.”
The exhibit is funded in part by the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication. For more information about the exhibit, visit https://w2.csun.edu/mike-curb-arts-media-communication/art-galleries/main-gallery.
