作者：辛西娅·休伯特

2022年4月6日

这个被称为皇家奇卡诺空军的标志性艺术团体植根于博彩平台已故名誉教授埃斯特班·维拉和其他想要为文化和社会正义发声的人的工作和行动主义。

维拉于5月15日去世，享年91岁。1969年，他和其他创始成员在萨克州立大学创立了这个组织，以传达奇卡诺民权和美国联合农场工人工会的目标。 他们创造了一个艺术家聚集的地方，互相支持，在策划教育项目和活动的同时，以壁画、政治海报、音乐、绘画、雕塑和诗歌的形式创作艺术。

囊状态 will honor Villa’s important contributions with an honorary doctorate of Fine Arts. 他的儿子勒内和内森·维拉将在2022年毕业典礼上接受父亲的博士学位。 Esteban Villa also was honored April 6 during a ceremony at 囊状态’s Julia Morgan House, along with honorary degree recipient May O. Lee and Tim Collom, recipient of the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service.

“It was at 囊状态 that the RCAF was born and I feel my purpose came to be,” Villa said in an earlier interview.

• 荣誉博士学位是对几代服务不足的人的持续领导和支持
• 总统奖章获得者把他的成功和艺术变成了一个持续的社区礼物

The collective became a springboard for numerous community service efforts, and the artists’ murals and other work became cultural landmarks across 萨克拉门托. One of the group’s pieces of art hangs inside the downtown Golden 1 Center. 另一幅壁画点缀着南区公园。

在萨克州立大学期间，维拉开始抽象地工作，最经常使用明亮的色彩，以肖像和风景为特色。

“My style began to emerge, revealing itself in daily sketches, thousands of them over the years, and also in my paintings taken from these sketches,” he said. “That’s my style, and the way I want to be known.”

维拉出生在图拉雷，在加入萨克州立大学之前教了10年高中。 他在大学工作了25年后，于1995年退休。 他曾担任学校和组织的艺术顾问，并为监狱开展艺术项目。 Numerous venues, including 萨克拉门托’s Crocker Art Museum, have exhibited his work.

“The legacy of Professor Villa, and the RCAF collectively, represents the best of the ideals of the 博彩平台: the use of the creative mind and spirit to pursue and build a more just and enlightened society in our state and nation.” ——菲利普·加西亚

提名维拉获得荣誉学位的萨克州立大学退休行政人员菲利普·加西亚说，维拉和皇家奇卡诺空军的其他成员，包括已故的萨克州立大学教授何塞·蒙托亚，指导和激励了几代学生和活动家。

“The legacy of Professor Villa, and the RCAF collectively, represents the best of the ideals of the 博彩平台: the use of the creative mind and spirit to pursue and build a more just and enlightened society in our state and nation,” Garcia said.

“Certainly, the history and legacy of the RCAF continues to inspire Latinx students today – and all students dedicated to the pursuit of social justice for all.”

Receiving an honorary degree “is validation that my work has purpose,” Villa said. “That my art, murals, and paintings mean something and are important in society.”

His mural at Golden 1 Center “tells a story,” he said, “of us, of the RCAF. 我们是一个集体。 We always were a collective, working together.”

本文更新于5月17日。