Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum

The mission of the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum is to stimulate and preserve knowledge and appreciation of Mexican culture through sponsoring events and exhibitions that exemplify the rich variety of visual and performing arts in the Mexican culture; to develop a significant permanent collection of Mexican art; to encourage the professional development of Mexican artists; and to offer arts education programs. The Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum is the nation's largest Latino arts institution and the only Latino museum accredited by the American Association of Museums. The Museum has the following goals:To sponsor special events and exhibits that exemplify the rich variety in visual and performing arts foundin the Mexican culture. To develop, preserve, and conserve a significant permanent collection of Mexican art. To encourage the professional development of local Mexican artists. To offer arts education programs. The Museum defines the Mexican culture as "sin fronteras" (without borders) and presents the Mexican culture from ancient times to the present and how it has manifested itself on both sides of the border. The Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum has become a national leader and mentor for culturally groundedinstitutions and community based arts organizations, as well as for its advocacy of "First Voice" and cultural equity issues. The Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum has been in the forefront of defining the role of museums in the 21st Century. The Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum serves as a cultural focus for the more than million and a half Mexicans residing in the Chicago area. The Museum also serves as a cultural ally to other Latino cultural groups in the City of Chicago. Image above: La Leyenda de los Volcanes/The Legend of the Volcanoes, Jesus Helguera, Circa 1940, Oil on Canvas, 6, x 8,, Private Collection. Romantic and idealistic was the way Mexicans in the 1940,s looked back at their ancient and glorious indigenous history. Artists such as Jesus Helguera (1910-1971) provided the popular culture with heroic scenes of a proud and triumphant race. For the first time in their history, Mexicans embraced their indigenous roots and celebrated the ancient cultures with the assistance of social and artistic movements set up by the new, post-revolutionary government. ,La Leyenda de los Volcanes, is one of the most important paintings that assisted in promoting this new attitude towards the ancient indigenous.