The Whitney Launches Vida Americana: Mexican Muralists Remake American Art

Alfredo Ramos Martínez, “Calla Lily Vendor (Vendedora de Alcatraces)” (1929, oil on canvas), 45 13/16 inches by 36 inches, on view at The Whitney

During North America’s tumultuous period between the 1920s and 1950s, Mexican and American artists searched for new ways to express the social changes. To explore this shift, The Whitney presents Vida Americana: Mexican Muralists Remake American Art, 1925-1945, featuring 200 works by 60 Mexican and American artists, including David Alfaro Siqueiros, José Clemente Orozco and Diego Rivera. The exhibit brings together both nationalities to show how the Mexican muralist style impacted American artists. The pieces that came out of this partnership protested economic, racial and social inequalities. The resulting style created a new dialogue between art and the general public. Art that speaks directly about social injustices? Now that’s modern. Feb. 17-May 17, 99 Gansevoort St., whitney.org