¡Escultura! Selections from The Mexican Museum's Permanent Collection

Kalmanovitz Hall Sculpture Terrace and Atrium

February 3, 2014 to December 12, 2014

Presented in collaboration with The Mexican Museum and USF's Master of Arts in Museum Studies Program, ¡Escultura! features eight iconic bronze and steel sculptures culled from The Mexican Museum’s collection of more than 14,000 objects. These sculptures reveal the strong influence that pre-Columbian art had on cubism and late 20th century figurative sculpture. Images are available upon request.

Among the featured artists are Francisco Zúñiga, Felipe Castañeda, José Luis Cuevas, Jorge Duron, and Armando Amaya, most of whom studied at the acclaimed La Esmeralda in Mexico City. Their art presents female archetypes that strongly reference Mesoamerican forms. Also included are sculptures by Manuel Neri, Byron Galvez, and Gunther Gerzso, artists who formed abstract rather than realistic figures. Together, these sculptures offer a survey of 20th Century Latin American sculpture that emanate from rich tradition and explore human emotion.

“We are very pleased to be in partnership with USF on this important project,” said David J. de la Torre, director of The Mexican Museum. “The group of eight metal sculptures on exhibition represents some of the finest works in the Museum’s permanent collection. The exhibit is a must-see for Bay Area residents and visitors.”

¡Escultura! marks a first for a new major Museum acquisition, Bicefala by José Luis Cuevas, which has never been shown in public before. Maternidad by Francisco Zúñiga was given to the Museum early on its history and has been a signature piece since 1977. The Manuel Neri standing figure, which joined the Museum’s collection in 1980, is one of the artist’s most important works of art.

¡Escultura! is a collaboration between The Mexican Museum and the University of San Francisco’s Thacher Gallery and Masters in Museum Studies Program. It is also the first in a series of projects between the two organizations. USF’s recently-launched Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Museum Studies is designed for entry-level and emerging museum professionals as well as professionals from other fields wishing to pursue a career in the museum field. The program prepares its graduates for positions of leadership in artistic, cultural, educational and heritage organizations and for long-term professional growth.

Collaborators/lenders/co-presenters/sponsors
Co-sponsored by The Mexican Museum, USF’s Master of Arts in Museum Studies Program, Center for Latino Studies in the Americas (CELASA), Latin American Studies, and Chicana Latina Studies.