This video provides an overview of
the Royal Chicano Air Force - art and activism:
the Royal Chicano Air Force - art and activism:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWybYfyfRK4&t=414s
Royal Chicano Air Force Archives,
1973-1988
(From: UC Santa Barbara, Special Research Collections)
The Royal Chicano Air Force (was) an artistic collective based in Sacramento.
Originally the 'Rebel Chicano Art Front', it became a key creative force in the Chicano movement,
In 1969, Chicano artists in Sacramento created an artistic collective called the 'Rebel Chicano Art Front'
(humorously renamed the 'Royal Chicano Air Force')
to express the goals of the Chicano civil rights movement merging art with social justice, community activism,
and labor support for the United Farm Workers.
This new identity found its way into their wardrobe,
as well as their highly successful silkscreen poster program, which began to disseminate the World War I aviator and barnstorming bi-winged planes as icons.
The RCAF worked diligently to promote Its mission to make available to the public and the Chicano community a bilingual/bicultural arts center where artists could come together, exchange ideas, provide mutual support, and make available to the public artistic, cultural, and educational programs and events.
1973-1988
(From: UC Santa Barbara, Special Research Collections)
The Royal Chicano Air Force (was) an artistic collective based in Sacramento.
Originally the 'Rebel Chicano Art Front', it became a key creative force in the Chicano movement,
In 1969, Chicano artists in Sacramento created an artistic collective called the 'Rebel Chicano Art Front'
(humorously renamed the 'Royal Chicano Air Force')
to express the goals of the Chicano civil rights movement merging art with social justice, community activism,
and labor support for the United Farm Workers.
This new identity found its way into their wardrobe,
as well as their highly successful silkscreen poster program, which began to disseminate the World War I aviator and barnstorming bi-winged planes as icons.
The RCAF worked diligently to promote Its mission to make available to the public and the Chicano community a bilingual/bicultural arts center where artists could come together, exchange ideas, provide mutual support, and make available to the public artistic, cultural, and educational programs and events.
The RCAF, created in 1972
the not-for-profit Centro De Artistas Chicanos.
This community based organization became the spring-board for all types of Sacramento community programs, such as La Nueva Raza Bookstore (with its Galería Posada), Aeronaves de Aztlán (Automotive Repair Garage), RCAF Danzantes (Cultural Dance venue), Barrio Art Program, and the RCAF Graphics and Design Center.
By 1977, the Centro de Artistas Chicanos and Breakfast for Niños Program (a community non-profit program that fed children before school) joined forces to create the Cultural Affairs Project, which further funded their many community services.
The RCAF is best known for its mural paintings, poster art production, and individual artistic contributions.
The artists of the Centro have produced murals and exhibitions from San Diego to Seattle.
RCAF is significant as a collective that has maintained a twenty-five year history of engaging communities to express their Chicano culture, history and struggle for equal rights.
The RCAF gained a well-deserved reputation for outrageous humor, fine art posters, murals, and community activism.
Their pioneering spirit throughout the 1970s and early 1980s was well-known in the California Chicano community, and continues to the present.
The RCAF, created in 1972
the not-for-profit Centro De Artistas Chicanos.
This community based organization became the spring-board for all types of Sacramento community programs, such as La Nueva Raza Bookstore (with its Galería Posada), Aeronaves de Aztlán (Automotive Repair Garage), RCAF Danzantes (Cultural Dance venue), Barrio Art Program, and the RCAF Graphics and Design Center.
By 1977, the Centro de Artistas Chicanos and Breakfast for Niños Program (a community non-profit program that fed children before school) joined forces to create the Cultural Affairs Project, which further funded their many community services.
The RCAF is best known for its mural paintings, poster art production, and individual artistic contributions.
The artists of the Centro have produced murals and exhibitions from San Diego to Seattle.
RCAF is significant as a collective that has maintained a twenty-five year history of engaging communities to express their Chicano culture, history and struggle for equal rights.
The RCAF gained a well-deserved reputation for outrageous humor, fine art posters, murals, and community activism.
Their pioneering spirit throughout the 1970s and early 1980s was well-known in the California Chicano community, and continues to the present.
Members of the RCAF (have) include:
José Montoya,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Montoya
Esteban Villa,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esteban_Villa,
Juan Carillo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd96Xe9IRGA
Juanishi V. Orosco,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juanishi_Orosco
Ricardo Favela.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_Favela,
Rudy Cuellar.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodolfo_Cuellar
Stan Padilla,
https://www.wideopenwalls.com/artists/stan-padilla/
Montoya and Villa knew of each other
through their involvement in the
Mexican American Liberation Art Front.
and the
California College of Arts and Crafts.
During the Chicano Movement students pressured colleges and universities to diversify their faculties.
As a result, Montoya and Villa were hired
as professors of art at California State University, Sacramento.
Their academic positions gave them the creative freedom to initiate programmatic exchanges between the university and the barrio community.
Through this effort they initiated many programs including the Barrio Art Program,
which required university students to go out into the community including senior centers, to teach art courses.
José Montoya,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Montoya
Esteban Villa,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esteban_Villa,
Juan Carillo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd96Xe9IRGA
Juanishi V. Orosco,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juanishi_Orosco
Ricardo Favela.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_Favela,
Rudy Cuellar.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodolfo_Cuellar
Stan Padilla,
https://www.wideopenwalls.com/artists/stan-padilla/
Montoya and Villa knew of each other
through their involvement in the
Mexican American Liberation Art Front.
and the
California College of Arts and Crafts.
During the Chicano Movement students pressured colleges and universities to diversify their faculties.
As a result, Montoya and Villa were hired
as professors of art at California State University, Sacramento.
Their academic positions gave them the creative freedom to initiate programmatic exchanges between the university and the barrio community.
Through this effort they initiated many programs including the Barrio Art Program,
which required university students to go out into the community including senior centers, to teach art courses.
Three co-founding RCAF member-artists Esteban Villa,
Stan Padilla, and Juanishi Orosco recently created
this 27 x 11 foot, three-paneled mural.
RCAF co-founder Juan Carrillo, says the legacy piece tells the story of humankind’s multi-generational evolution from Quetzalcoatl to El Sexto Sol, The Sixth Sun, and reflects our community, who we are and what we value. The three artists worked with their children and grandchildren to complete the mural.
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