A casual conversation over a shared interest in Chicano literature was the inspiration that led two Riverside officials to create a new permanent exhibit at the SSgt. Salvador J. Lara Casa Blanca Library dedicated to highlighting Latino art and literature.
“Young people from this neighborhood are going to come into the library and they’re going to see themselves in the books, in the art,” said Ward 5 Councilmember Sean Mill, who worked on the space with Riverside County Supervisor Jose Medina. “They want to see stories that they can relate to, so these stories could be [about] anybody that grew up in Casa Blanca.”
Dozens of residents gathered April 2 for the unveiling of “Ojos del Tiempo,” the Chicano art and literature space, nestled in a corner near the library’s entrance.
On one wall were nine frames featuring artwork handpicked by Mill showcasing the Latino neighborhood’s history, like a mural painted by Eastside Arthouse owner Juan Navarro. Other pieces referenced current-day Latino struggles, like Lalo Alcaraz’s “Summer of ICE.” Beneath the artwork are two shelves featuring literature written by prominent Chicano writers, like Sandra Cisneros and Victor Villaseñor, that Medina and Mill chose together…