My Brother, the Acclaimed Artist from the East L.A. Barrio

A Very Personal Chronicle of Painter Salomón Huerta’s Journey to the Whitney Biennial and Beyond

My brother, Salomón Huerta, is an internationally recognized visual artist. When I think about his rise in the art world, I can’t help but reflect on how far he came, from experiencing abject poverty and violence in a Mexican neighborhood and an American barrio to inclusion in the prestigious Whitney Biennial at age 33.

Here’s his story, as only a brother could tell it.

During the early 1960s, to escape the violence of a small Mexican rancho, Zajo Grande, in the beautiful state of Michoacán, our abuelo Martin Huerta Hernandez relocated most …

Nature Playback | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Nature Playback

Jorge Verdin is a Pasadena-based designer, illustrator, and musician. Under the name Clorofila, he is known as a pioneer of the Nortec music style. The multidisciplinary artist has also created music …

12-15-21 | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Out of the Sky

Tianjiao Guo is an illustrator based in Los Angeles. Born and raised in Shanghai, she moved to California at the age of 17. A graduate of the School of Visual …

Birds of a Feather Drive Together | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Birds of a Feather Drive Together

Vivienne Strauss has been a full-time artist since 2008. While she is not formally trained as an artist, she has a background in philosophy and is an avid reader, cinephile, …

The Great Digital Indoors | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

The Great Digital Indoors

Diana Steinsnyder is a textile designer and creative director based in Southern California. She has designed for a variety of fashion and beauty brands, and you can find her patterns on …

Joyfully Felt Florals | Zocalo Public Square • Arizona State University • Smithsonian

Joyfully Felt Florals

Karla Field is an independent artist based in Pasadena, California. A graduate of Art Center College of Design, she has worked as a toy designer at Mattel, Hasbro, and Applause Gifts. Under …