An exhibit, Encounters and Discoveries in Literature: Celebrating Arte Público Press and Twentieth Century Latina/o Literature, is a retrospective look at the press and its place in the larger context of Latina/o literature in the 20th century. Founded in 1979, Arte Público paved the way for numerous celebrated authors, including Alicia Gaspar de Alba, Sandra Cisneros, Rolando Hinojosa, Graciela Limón, Américo Paredes, and Tomás Rivera, while also recovering early unpublished works by Latinos and leading the way for inclusive children’s literature.
Materials in the exhibit will include books, archival documents, photographs, and works of art produced or recovered by Arte Público Press, its imprint, Piñata Books, and its program, Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Project. Beyond a mere presentation of objects and literary works, the contents of the exhibit explore the Latina/o experience and the societal conditions documented in the press’ publications.
For more information, contact Lisa Cruces at ccruces@uh.edu or 713-743-9903.