Wave Staff Report
LOS ANGELES — The Cal State Los Angeles University Library’s Special Collections and Archives has acquired the Manuel Gomez Cruz Artwork Collection, expanding the university’s East L.A. Archives and preserving the legacy of a pioneering Chicano artist whose work helped shape the Chicano art movement in East Los Angeles.
The collection is currently on display in the Special Collections and Archives Reading Room located in the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library, Palmer Wing, Room 2079, on the Cal State L.A. campus.
“The Manuel Gomez Cruz Artwork Collection documents the work of a Chicano artist that formed part of the Chicano Art Movement in East L.A.,” said Azalea Camacho, head of Special Collections and Archives at Cal State L.A. “His collection is a great addition to the East L.A. Archives. It is a great honor to have his work here at Cal State L.A. and available to our students and the campus community.”
The collection features original artwork, photographic records, and print materials documenting Cruz’s career and foundational contributions to the Chicano art movement. Among the materials are a copy of the 1980-81 publication “A Chicano Christmas Story,” the “Cholito and Artist” coloring book, and the “Barrio Flag” screenprint.
“The archive also documents the Cinco Puntos mural, a critique of American militarism,” Camacho added. “It includes a large metal sculpture of an indigenous man in chains that was originally bolted to the top of the mural.”
Born Aug. 2, 1931, in the Boyle Heights neighborhood, Cruz overcame poverty, instability and limited formal education to become a self-taught artist, musician and writer whose work reflected the struggles and resilience of the Chicano community. Through murals, sculptures, music and written works, Cruz chronicled the social and political realities of East Los Angeles during a transformative era in American history.
Cruz collaborated with several influential Chicano art spaces throughout Los Angeles, including the Mechicano Art Center in Highland Park, Self Help Graphics in East Los Angeles, El Centro Joaquin Murrieta Art Center in East Los Angeles, All Nations in Boyle Heights, and Social and Public Art Resource Center in Venice Beach.
His work later appeared in publications and media productions, including Lowrider Magazine and the French documentary “Mur Murs.”
Beyond his artistic contributions, Cruz was an entrepreneur, community advocate, and mentor whose life and work embodied cultural pride and resistance. His often-repeated phrase, “Never forget you are Azteca. Viva Chicano Power,” reflected his enduring commitment to identity and social justice.
The Manuel Gomez Cruz Artwork Collection is open to students, faculty, researchers, and community members interested in exploring the history of Chicano art and culture in Los Angeles.
The East L.A. Archives at Cal State L.A. documents the lives and events of a historical community central to the social, political and cultural history of the Chicano/Latino community in the United States. The archive collects, preserves, displays and disseminates documents, artifacts and other materials related to the social and political life of the East Los Angeles region.
The archive currently includes the Boyle Heights Collection, Carlos Montes Papers, David Sandoval Papers, Gloria Arellanes Papers, InterCity Struggle Collection, Jose R. Figueroa Collection, and the East Los Angeles Community Union (TELACU) collection.
