Places of Our Own, Spaces of Our Own: A look at the National Museum of Mexican Art and the National Hispanic Cultural Center

Abstract

The Hispano/Latino population in the United States of America tripled from an estimated population of 14.8 million in 1980 to more than 50.5 million in 2010. Despite their growth and presence throughout the country, the evident underrepresentation of Hispano/Latino artists, staff, board members and visitors in mainstream museums is of concern. This research explores the value and importance of the National Museum of Mexican Art (Chicago, IL) and the National Hispanic Cultural Center (Albuquerque, NM) from the perspective of their staff and the implications of their experiences to the potential establishment of the Smithsonian American Latino Museum.