Smithsonian to Open Latino Show with Texas Artists. Maybe.

Franco Mondini-Ruiz, Crystal City, 2009. Mixed media installation, including glass, crystal, silver, plastic, and ceramic objects, dimensions variable. Smithsonian American Art Museum. Gift of Henry R. Muñoz III in honor of Debra Guerrero © 2009, Franco Mondini-Ruiz 2013.48.1

A large sculptural installation by San Antonio/New York artist Franco Mondini-Ruiz has recently been acquired for the permanent collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. The work is entitled Crystal City, named after the small Texas town considered to be the birthplace of the Chicano movement.

Crystal City will be included in the Smithsonian’s upcoming exhibition Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art. Of the 72 leading modern and contemporary artists included in the show, a number are from Texas. The exhibition is set to open in about two weeks but the Smithsonian is still closed due to the federal government shutdown.