Peter Rodríguez

Peter Rodríguez (1926 – 2016) was an American artist, curator, and museum director. He was the founder, director and curator of the Mexican Museum in San Francisco, and a co-founder of the Galería de la Raza.[1][2]

Peter Rodríguez
Born(1926-06-25)June 25, 1926
Stockton, California, U.S.
DiedJuly 1, 2016(2016-07-01) (aged 90)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Other namesPeter Rodriguez,
Peter Rodríguez-Garcia
Known forpainting, curation, arts administration
MovementBay Area Chicano Art Movement, Abstract expressionism
Parents
  • Jesús Rodríguez (father)
  • Guadalupe García Rodríguez (mother)

Early life

Peter Rodríguez was born as a twin on June 25, 1926, in Stockton, California.[3] There were eleven children in his family, his twin brother is Tony.[3][4] He was the son of Jesús Rodríguez and Guadalupe García Rodríguez, immigrants from Guadalajara, Mexico.[5] The family lived in Fowler and Jackson, California.[3] He attended Oneida School (or Oneida School House) in Jackson Gate, California, which is where he started making art.[3][6] At a young age he took an interest in art and comics, and won awards.[5]

When he was still young, he moved to San Francisco.[5] Early in his career he worked in the fashion industry and in advertising.[1] He was a self-taught artist, often using acrylics or oil paints.[5]

Career

In the early 1960s, he was invited to show his work at Museo del Estado, Jalisco in Mexico and he took time to also visit Mexico City.[5] From 1968 to 1969, Rodríguez moved to the Tlalpan neighborhood of Mexico City, learning about culture and local arts.[5]

By 1970, he moved to San Francisco.[5] That same year in 1970 he co-founded the Galería de la Raza,[5] with Chicano Movement artists Ralph Maradiaga, Rupert García, Francisco X. Camplis, Gustavo Ramos Rivera, Carlos Loarca, Manuel Villamor, Robert Gonzales, Luis Cervantes, Chuy Campusano, Rolando Castellón, and René Yañez.[7][8]

in 1975, Rodríguez founded the Mexican Museum on Folsom Street in the Mission District, and served as the founding director and curator of the museum for 10 years.[5][9] The museum now holds a permanent collection of over 16,000 objects.[2] As the museum grew it needed to find a larger space, moving to Fort Mason and then to Yerba Buena Gardens, where a new space for a museum was being built and expected open in 2020 (however it's possibly delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic).[5][10]

Death and legacy

He continued to paint into his 80s, even after moving into the Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center around 2012.[11] Rodriguez died on July 1, 2016, at the age of 90 at the Laguna Honda Hospital in San Francisco.[5]

On July 19, 2016, Rodríguez's legacy was celebrated in San Francisco when they unveiled the cornerstone of the new museum, with Nancy Pelosi and Claudia Ruiz Massieu in attendance.[1][2]

References
  1. Desmarais, Charles (2016-07-26). "Peter Rodriguez, founder of SF's rising-star Mexican Museum, dies". SFGATE. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  2. "Peter Rodriguez (1926–2016)". Artforum.com. August 5, 2016. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  3. "Oral history interview with Peter Rodriguez, 2004 October 23-24". Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  4. Wenus, Laura (2016-07-28). "Mexican Museum Founder Peter Rodriguez Dies at 90". Mission Local. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  5. "Honoring the Life and Legacy of Peter Rodriguez, Founder of The Mexican Museum". laoferta.com. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  6. "Finding Aid for the Peter Rodriguez Mexican Museum of San Francisco Papers 1975 - 2001". oac.cdlib.org. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  7. "Community forum contributes to the future of Galería de la Raza". El Tecolote. 2012-10-03. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  8. Carlsson, Chris; Elliott, Lisa Ruth (2011). Ten Years That Shook the City: San Francisco 1968-1978. City Lights Books. p. 90. ISBN 978-1-931404-12-9.
  9. Gaura, Maria Alicia (1995-11-20). "Turmoil as Mexican Museum Turns 20". SFGATE. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  10. Whiting, Sam (2018-07-22). "Mexican Museum to leave Fort Mason home, seek cash for Mission Street site". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  11. Spotswood, Beth (2015-06-30). "Mexican Museum founder still fighting for art at 89". SFGATE. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
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