Cocina Jaiteca by Larry Yanez

2. Cocina is Spanish for kitchen. Jaiteca, pronounced “high-tech-a,” is a word the artist invented as a joke. This kitchen, based on the artist’s childhood memories of family kitchens, is not very high-tech at all. Cocina Jaiteca by Larry Yanez Latino Family

3. This is a painting of the artist (center, in the striped shirt) and his brothers. Treviño has said that the family structure and social organization of the Chicano community provides a reference point for his work. Mis Hermanos by Jesse Treviño Latino Family

4. Garza painted herself as a child, sitting on the roof of her house with her sister as they both dream about being artists. Camas para Sueños (Beds for Dreams) by Carmen Lomas Garza Latino Family

5. The Virgin of Guadalupe represents the essential and unifying force for all Mexican Americans. She is ubiquitous: she appears not only on altars in churches and in homes across the Southwest, but also in restaurants and beauty parlors, on automobile decals, murals, and tattoos. Our Lady of Guadalupe by Pedro Antonio Fresquís Latino Tradition

6. This preparatory drawing for a public sculpture in Albuquerque is based on an Aztec myth. References to Aztec culture are a common element in Latino art. Drawing for Southwest Pieta by Luis Jiménez Latino Tradition

7. Martínez’ woven designs incorporate the influence of many cultures, including Navajo and Pueblo Indians and Spanish Settlers. Tapestry Weave Rag Jerga by Agueda Martínez Latino Tradition

8. Graffiti artists are closely identified by a graphic signature or “tag.” Bojórquez incorporated the tags of many of his friends into this “roll call.” Placa/Rollcallby Charles "Chaz" Bojórquez Latino Identity

9. Osorio’s artwork is often about transformation. He has covered this chandelier with objects that relate to the lives, traditions, and identity of a Latino family including toys and religious objects. El Chandelierby Pepón Osorio Latino Identity

10. In this provocative reinterpretation of the three Marys of the Crucifixion, Baca explores personal and cultural identity. Two very different Chicano women flank a mirror so that the viewer becomes the third figure in this exploration of identity. Las Tres Marías by Judith F. Baca Latino Identity

11. A portrait of the author Sandra Cisneros as a young woman. The Protagonist of an Endless Story by Angel Rodríguez-Díaz Latino Heroes

12. Cesar Chavez, who founded the United Farm Workers Union in 1963, marked the end of his 25-day hunger strike in support of the farm workers' struggle in Southern California by celebrating Mass with Robert Kennedy in front of this altar. Farm Workers' Altar by Emanuel Martinez Latino Heroes

13. The face of Frida Kahlo is hidden in each panel of this triptych. Sueno (Dream: Eve Before Adam) by Alfredo Arreguin Latino Heroes

14. This poster transforms a recognizable brand image to protest unfair treatment for farm workers. Sun Mad by Ester Hernandez Latino Conflict

15. This artwork, titled War combines the imagery of the American flag with a question about the 500 years of conflict in the Americas since the arrival of Columbus. Plastic skeletons are woven into the netting that makes up the stripes of the flag. ¡Guerra! By Arturo Alonzo Sandoval Latino Conflict

16. Alfonzo combines teardrops and religious symbols into an artwork representing the fear and hardship he experienced when emigrating from Cuba and suffering from AIDS. The piece is constructed of several pieces of canvas sewn together, perhaps evoking an AIDS quilt, and painted roughly as though in a state of high emotion. Where Tears Can't Stop by Carlos Alfonzo Latino Conflict

17. Castagliola constructed this piece out of sealed envelopes, each containing a secret donated by another member of the Cuban community in Florida. These secrets, a symbol of the trust that binds the immigrant community, are protected between fiberglass screens. A Matter of Trust by Maria Castagliola Latino Community

18. The brightest element of this rundown street in Spanish Harlem is the sign with the Puerto Rican flag. Puerto RicanFlagby Joseph Rodríguez Latino Community

19. A fiesta is an outdoor party and a chance for a community to express and celebrate their culture. When planning a work of outdoor sculpture, Jiménez chose to celebrate the Mexican-American fiesta tradition. Model for "Fiesta” by Luis Jiménez Latino Community

20. This striking image of a political prisoner shows a figure whose mouth is bound—a literal and metaphorical limitation of freedom. Political Prisoner by Rupert Garcia Latino Freedom

21. The central image in this quilt is the Virgin of Guadalupe, a figure travelers pray on dangerous journeys. Barbed wire crosses the quilt, symbolizing borders and barriers. Hidden in the stitching are a running family and the word, “Caution.” Virgen de los Caminos by Consuelo Jiménez Underwood Latino Freedom

22. Symbols of hope and freedom clash with symbols of death and imprisonment in this poster. We the People by Carlota D. Espinoza Latino Freedom

23. This mural study for the federal building in Anardarko, Oklahoma includes a scene of a Kiowa family organized to move camp. The Kiowa nation is historically a nomadic hunter-gatherer culture that travelled with the buffalo. Today there are about 14,000 members of the Kiowa Tribe in Oklahoma. Kiowas Moving Camp by Stephen Mopope Native American Family

24. Mary Adams, an Iroquois Indian, made Wedding Cake Basket in 1986 for the twenty-fifth wedding anniversary of one of her children. Her masterpiece weaves the western European ritual of the wedding cake with splint basket making practiced by the Iroquoian peoples since the late eighteenth century. Wedding Cake Basket by Mary Adams Native American Family

25. This image explores the relationship between tradition and change in Pueblo Indian life. Traditions, in the form of stories, are still passed down through generations. The use of gouache, however, is a European method that the artist was taught through classes funded by the federal government. Story Teller by Velino Shije Herrera Native American Tradition

26. Dance is an important part of Native American ritual. Some are sacred, some celebrate victories, and some express sorrow. For the Kiowas, the Buffalo Dance is a war dance. The buffalo was an important animal in many Indian cultures and buffalo dances can mean different things for different tribes. Kiowa Buffalo Dancer by James Auchiah Native American Tradition

27. Fritz Scholder is an artist that explores Indian stereotypes. This figure, with it’s simple title and anonymous face, represents a common view of Native American identity—as feather clad warriors at one with an animal and surrounded by open land. Indian Image by Fritz Scholder Native American Identity

28. This is an artist’s interpretation of a traditional Native American tunic belonging to the invented character known as Shoots Four. Formal Indian clothing traditionally includes symbols and narrative scenes relating to the identity and accomplish-ments of the wearer. Shoots Four by R. Lee White Native American Identity

29. Tecumseh was admired as a great military leader who died in battle during the War of 1812. Pettrich’s Tecumseh is inspired by the classical “Dying Gaul,” a sculpture famous for showing a defeated chief making a brave death. The Smithsonian American Art Museum collection does not contain any depictions of named Native American figures by Native American artists. The Dying Tecumseh by Ferdinand Pettrich Native American Heroes

30. Four Bears, a Mandan chief, was perhaps the most famous man painted by George Catlin during his journeys west to record Native American life, culture, and leaders. The Smithsonian American Art Museum collection does not contain any depictions of named Native American figures by Native American artists. Máh-to-tóh-pa, Four Bears by George Catlin Native American Heroes

31. Chief Joseph was one of the last leaders of the resistance against the restrictive policies of the federal government. The Smithsonian American Art Museum collection does not contain any depictions of named Native American figures by Native American artists. "Joseph” by Olin Levi Warner Native American Heroes

32. This print is inspired by the traditional Winter Count calendar system where symbols are entered representing the most significant event of each year . The cholera epidemic of 1849, brought by westward travellers, is still remembered as the hardest year in Kiowa history. Kiowa Year 1849 by N. Scott Momaday Native American Conflict

33. Herrera draws a connection between the stereotypical smoke signal, never a part of Pueblo culture, and the mushroom cloud of a nuclear bomb, invented in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The figures and buildings represent forces that have tried to change Pueblo culture, including the church, the federal government, and the public schools. That Is No Longer Our Smoke Sign by Justino Herrera Native American Conflict

34. This weaving is a memory scene of the artist’s life on a reservation in Arizona. Reservation Scene by Louise Nez Native American Community

35. This sculpture depicts a sacred Navajo ceremony requiring six men, six women, and two dancers representing ritual figures. The community works together through dance to allow the medicine man to heal someone in need. Yeibichai Dancers with Medicine Man and Patient by Tom Yazzie Native American Community

36. This map of the Americas shows only the many place names with origins in Native American languages. The borders, imposed by other cultures, are blurred and erased by the dripping paint. State Names by Jaune Quick-To-See Smith Native American Freedom

37. The buffalo are an important symbol to many Indian nations because of the sustenance and supplies provided by hunting them. This print combines image of the buffalo and the stars and stripes of the American flag. Untitled, from the portfolio Indian Self-Rule by Jaune Quick-To-See Smith Native American Freedom

38. This family scene, set in Boston in 1941, shows many generations of women interacting. The men of the family might simply be at work, but the presence of only one male character, a child, might be a reference to the time. Though the US didn’t enter WWII until December of 1941, the country was already involved through volunteers and lend-lease agreements. Sunlight and Shadow by Allan Rohan Crite African American Family

39. The colors, patterns, and overlapping shapes of this collage add to the sense of family connection. Elements of the composition, with the eldest generation seated at the center, echo recognizable family pictures from many cultures. Family by Romare Bearden African American Family

40. Faith Ringgold's tumultuous relationship with her two daughters inspired the drama that unfolds in her series entitled The Bitter Nest. In this scene, the flamboyant mother embarrasses her daughter at a dinner party attended by Harlem Renaissance visionaries such as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. The Harlem Renaissance Party by Faith Ringgold African American Family

41. Jones found artistic and intellectual freedom in France. When her Paris teachers questioned the African themes in her paintings, Jones answered readily: if masters like Matisse and Picasso could use them, she said, "don't you think I should?" Les Fétiches by Loïs Mailou Jones African American Tradition

42. This is Bearden’s portrait of Bessie Smith, one of the most famous blues singers of the 1920s. The origins of blues music can be traced back to the music of slaves. What started out as affirmations and prayers were lengthened into songs with repetitive choruses. Empress of the Blues by Romare Bearden African American Tradition

43. Johnson’s flat patterns recall the story quilts based on African traditions. Survival through faith and family is the clear message from an artist who wanted “to express in a natural way what I feel, what is in me, both rhythmically and spiritually, all that which in time has been saved up in my family of primitiveness and tradition.” Candy Box by Virginia R. Harris African American Tradition

44. Some of the objects in this room refer to the identity of the man as an artist and some to his job as a janitor. Palmer Hayden took odd jobs and custodial work while pursing his artistic career but said that this scene was a tribute to his friend Cloyde Boykin, who was never recognized “because no one called him a painter; they called him a janitor.” The Janitor Who Paints by Palmer Hayden African American Identity

45. In this self-portrait, the artist’s life is spelled out across her face in a rebus, reflecting the impact that experience has on identity. The History of Her Life Written across Her Face by Margo Humphrey African American Identity

46. Like many artists of the Harlem Renaissance, Malvin Gray Johnson simplified the forms of his subjects and occasionally emphasized his African past by including African imagery in his paintings. Self-Portrait by Malvin Gray Johnson African American Identity

47. In this painting, Johnson honors three famous abolitionists who played an important role in the struggle against slavery. They are depicted clasping hands, with Frederick Douglass in the middle, John Brown on the left, and Abraham Lincoln on the right. Three Great Abolitionists by William H. Johnson African American Heroes

48. Cleopatra, (though actually of Greek descent) is shown here as a strong African Queen sacrificing herself to avoid being paraded as a slave in Rome. Lewis, an artist of African American and Native American heritage, chose her as a subject in 1876, the last year of Reconstruction. The Death of Cleopatra by Edmonia Lewis African American Heroes

49. Allusions to positive aspects of African American history and culture greatly overshadow the negative. Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesse Jackson are given the greatest weight in the composition. We Shall Overcome by Loïs Mailou Jones African American Heroes

50. Earle Richardson depicted his fellow African Americans working barefooted in a southern cotton field, but the artist denied demeaning stereotypes to stress the dignity of his subjects. Painted in 1934, this image nevertheless alludes to the legacy of slavery. Employment of Negroes in Agriculture by Earle Richardson African American Conflict