Centro de Arte Público was an American arts organization and collective founded in 1977 and closed in 1979 in Highland Park neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, U.S..
| Formation | 1977 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Carlos Almaraz, Guillermo Bejarano, Richard Duardo, Leo Limón |
| Dissolved | 1980s |
| Headquarters | 5605–5607 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, California |
| Location |
|
| Designated | August 24, 2021 |
| Reference no. | 1233 |
History
It was founded by Carlos Almaraz of Los Four, Guillermo Bejarano, and Richard Duardo.[1] Almaraz and Bejarano were painters, and Duardo had worked as a printmaker at Self Help Graphics; all three had a connect to the neighborhood.[2] Some sources also named Leo Limón as a forth founder.[3] The organization focused on the creation of artwork centered on the theme of Los Angeles street scenes and work by Chicano/Chicana youth.[2] They fused Chicano consciousness, communist teachings, and a silkscreen printing business.[4] In the 1970s, Dolores Guerrero-Cruz, Barbara Carrasco, and Judithe Hernández actively had been part of Centro de Arte Público.[5]
The Centro de Arte Público is one of three local arts organizations that made up the Chicano Arts Collective, including the Mechicano Art Center and Corazon Productions.[4] After the organization moved in 1978/1979, the space was transformed into Aztlán Multiples, a printshop; and The Vex, a Chicano punk club.[2][4] The former building was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (#1233) on August 24, 2021.[6]