The Mexican Museum to Present CINCO Y CINCO / FIVE AND FIVE Exhibit, 6/23

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - May 11, 2016 - The Mexican Museum, the premier West Coast museum of Mexican, Mexican-American, Chicano, Latin American, and Latino art, culture and heritage, presents Cinco y Cinco/Five and Five, an exhibition of works by 10 contemporary artists from the U.S., Mexico, and Latin America. Opening June 23 and running through November 6, 2016, the exhibition, which is free and open to the public, will be showcased at The Mexican Museum's current facility at Fort Mason Center, Building D, Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street, in San Francisco.

Cinco y Cinco/Five and Five is presented by guest curator Anthony Torres and will include works by the following artists: Victor Cartagena, Rolando Castellon, Adriana Castro, Ana de la Cueva, Lewis deSoto, Juan Jota Leaños, Gera Lozano, Geri Montano, Bernardo Roman Palau, and Gustavo Ramos Rivera. Unique to most exhibitions, five of these artists were initially invited, each of whom has garnered regional, national, and international acclaim. The five invited artists were then asked to nominate another artist to participate as a means of extending opportunities to artists they deem worthy of greater public recognition. Works will be displayed in a variety of media, including photography, painting, video, and installations.

Exploring connections, commonalities, and differences in the 10 artists' values, practices, and visual sensibilities, Cinco y Cinco/Five and Five will spotlight contemporary "Latino Art" as a rich, ambiguous area of inquiry that moves beyond geography or ethnicity. Museum guests will be invited to find linkages between the artists' aesthetic choices, as well as learn about their diverse histories, intellectual discourses, and issues of self-representation that inform their choices. Referencing the artists' trans-cultural exposures, the unique exhibition formulates an expanded and inclusive redefinition of the term "American Art," where that concept represents more of an interconnected global conversation aimed at greater cross-cultural communication.

"Alternative spaces like The Mexican Museum, Galería de la Raza in San Francisco, Centro Cultural de la Raza in San Diego, Mechicano Art Center in Los Angeles, and the Studio Museum of Harlem, and Museo del Barrio in New York, arose as a result of cultural struggles for social equality in the 1960s and 1970s, providing historically marginalized artists with venues to present their work to the world," said Torres. "Cinco y Cinco/Five and Five celebrates how much has been achieved by and for Latino artists as a result of such vital art and cultural centers."

In addition to experiencing the exhibition, people can support The Mexican Museum by becoming new members by calling (415) 202-9700 ext. 225, emailing membership@mexicanmuseum.org, or by visiting the website.

About The Mexican Museum: Founded by the well-known San Francisco artist Peter Rodriguez in 1975 in the heart of the Mission District, The Mexican Museum is located at the Fort Mason Center. It is the realization of his vision to present the aesthetic expression of the Mexican and Mexican American people. Today, the museum's vision has expanded to include the full scope of the Mexican, Chicano, and Latino experience - including the arts, history, and heritage of their respective cultures.

In 2012, The Mexican Museum became an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum and research complex. The Museum joins over 200 organizations in 45 states, Puerto Rico and Panama that are in association with the Smithsonian. The Mexican Museum currently has a permanent collection of more than 16,500 objects reflecting Pre-Hispanic, Colonial, Popular, Modern and Contemporary Mexican, Mexican-American, Latin American, Latino, and Chicano art.

The Mexican Museum, open Thursday - Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., is located at the Fort Mason Center, Building D, Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street, in San Francisco. Admission is FREE. The Museum offers a wide variety of programs, including Family Sundays, exhibitions, special events, lectures, and public programming throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, please visit: http://www.mexicanmuseum.org or call (415) 202-9700.

The Mexican Museum has begun construction of its permanent home in the heart of the Yerba Buena Gardens Art District, which is expected to open in 2019. People are encouraged to support The Mexican Museum by becoming new members, or by joining the Builder's Society online or by mailing a check to: The Mexican Museum, Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Boulevard, Building D, San Francisco, CA 94123. For more information on the Builder's Society, please contact Edgar De Sola at (415) 202-9700 ext. 225.