Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with the HCCC Foundation Art Collection
August 8, 2024
The Foundation Art Collection features a rich mosaic of works by Hispanic artists reflecting the College’s robust commitment to supporting Hispanic-American culture.
August 8, 2024, Jersey City, NJ – Renowned American labor leader and Civil Rights activist Cesar Chavez inspired
Americans and the world community to work peacefully for social justice. He famously
said, “No violencia es nuestra fuerza.” (Translation: Non-violence is our strength).
An authentic vintage framed social-justice campaign button – with Chavez’s image and
that quotation – is installed alongside many other items of Americana in a history
classroom at Hudson County Community College (HCCC). This educational treasure is
a part of the history and cultural heritage collection at the HCCC Foundation Art
Collection.
Chavez also stated, “We need to help students and parents cherish and preserve the ethnic and cultural diversity that nourishes and strengthens this community – and this nation.” Hudson County Community College (HCCC) and the HCCC Foundation Art Collection seek to embody this ethos each day, and the HCCC Foundation Art Collection proudly reflects this diversity and celebrates the College community’s strong Hispanic presence, featuring 75 permanently installed paintings, sculptures, and limited-edition prints by Hispanic artists. September 15 marks the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs through October 15, making it a great time to celebrate and reflect on the contributions of these Hispanic artists in the HCCC Foundation Art Collection.
Francisco Zuniga’s 1977 work, Evelia en un boutique, is displayed on the 5th Floor of the Gabert Library at 71 Sip Avenue and was recently featured in a Museum of Modern Art exhibition catalog.
Over 50% of Hudson County Community College (HCCC) students identify as Hispanic or Latino. HCCC is a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and a proud member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), a national organization dedicated to championing the success of Hispanic students in higher education. In 2023, the College was recognized for its excellence in support of this mission with the organization’s “Outstanding HACU-Member Institution Award.”
HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber stated, “Art has the unique power to transcend boundaries and connect us to diverse cultural experiences. Our collection of Hispanic art not only celebrates the rich heritage and contributions of Hispanic artists, but also serves to inspire our students and community.”
The Hispanic heritage experience in the United States ranges from the pampas of Argentina and Uruguay all the way north to Caribbean islands like Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, and everywhere in between, and the Foundation Art Collection reflects that diversity.
The Foundation’s collection of artwork by Hispanic artists also ranges in time from a pre-Columbian (before 1492) sculpture from the Colima Alcarraza culture dating back to 400 B.C., to modern-day works from both world-renowned artists like Teresita Fernandez and Picasso, and award-winning HCCC student artists.
While these works are exhibited throughout HCCC’s Journal Square and North Hudson campuses so that all members of the HCCC community can enjoy them, the third-floor corridor of the Gabert Library at 71 Sip Avenue is dedicated to Hispanic art and features many pieces by prominent Hispanic artists, including Alejandro Anreus and Felix Gonzales-Torres.
Each piece has its own unique story behind it, but one particularly notable work that is making a splash beyond the corridors of HCCC is Francisco Zuniga’s Evelia en un butaque, located on the fifth floor of the Gabert Library. Created in 1977 by the renowned Costa Rican-born Mexican artist, the charcoal and crayon drawing features a woman resting on a mid-Century modern version of the butaque chair, which has been a widely-recognized hybrid of Spanish and pre-Colombian furniture within Mexican culture and design since the late 16th Century. Recently, the drawing became the Foundation Art Collection’s first work featured in an exhibition publication when it was included in the Museum of Modern Art’s catalog for the museum’s Crafting Modernity: Design in Latin America 1940–1980 exhibition.
Many pieces depict the experiences of the Hispanic and Latino diaspora in the United States, including difficulties with immigration, life under authoritarian rule in some Latin American countries, and the struggle to overcome socioeconomic injustice. Especially relevant at this historic time is Yolanda Lopez’s limited-edition print, “Your Vote Has Power” that depicts a woman casting a vote while carrying her child on her back.
Dr. Andrea Siegel, Coordinator of the HCCC Foundation Art Collection, explains that “A thirst for a better world is a powerful theme in many of these works. We work towards that in many ways, and one of them is through art.”
To arrange a free tour to see these remarkable works by Hispanic artists, along with any other of the 1,400+ works installed at Hudson County Community College, please email Dr. Siegel at asiegelFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE.
If you’re interested in checking out the collection online, visit https://www.hccc.edu/community/arts/foundation-art-collection/category-collection-search.html.