The White House honored Judith Baca with one of the nation’s most prestigious awards for artistic excellence March 21.
President Joe Biden awarded Baca – professor emeritus of Chicano/a and Central American Studies and world arts and cultures – the 2021 National Medal of Arts alongside 21 other individuals and two organizations. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the award presentation was put on backlog, according to CNN.
Baca, a world-renowned muralist, received the award for her contributions to public art and storytelling. Other recipients included performers Mindy Kaling, Gladys Knight and Bruce Springsteen.
“Her groundbreaking murals depict the strength and scope of human nature and tell the forgotten stories, … and tell a fuller story of who we are as Americans,” Biden said at the award presentation.
Among her many works, Baca created “La Memoria de la Tierra: UCLA,” a mural displayed outside of Ackerman Union highlighting the presence of the Native American communities where UCLA was founded. The mural, which was unveiled last year, showcases the original Los Angeles River and its original peoples, highlights influential members of the UCLA community and displays a future in which the university coexists with and recognizes the Native land.
Baca founded LA’s first mural program in 1974, aiding the creation of hundreds of murals and engaging thousands of participants.
Two years later, the program evolved into the Social and Public Art Resource Center, an arts organization based in Southern California aiming to foster artistic collaboration, especially from marginalized communities. Baca now serves as SPARC’s artistic director, using digital technology to promote social justice and participatory public arts projects, particularly with the UCLA@SPARC Digital/Mural Lab, according to her website.
Baca has contributed to other recent UCLA art projects, including her work as a community partner for Destination Crenshaw, a $100 million revitalization project bringing public art, pocket parks, and small business investments to Southern LA.
Comments are closed.