Library Gallery Special Exhibits Fund: Painting La Comuniversidad

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Painting La Comuniversidad: The Murals of the Royal Chicano Air Force

The University Galleries at Sacramento State is proud to present Painting La Comuniversidad: Three Murals of the Royal Chicano Air Force — a landmark exhibition opening Spring 2026 at the University Library Gallery. Who are the Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF)? THE RCAF is a groundbreaking artist/activist collective founded in the early 1970s by Sac State students and faculty.

Your support helps the University Galleries bring exhibitions to life and expand creative learning opportunities across campus. Donations to this fund support planning, organizing and hosting special exhibits, such as Painting La Comuniversidad: Three Murals of the Royal Chicano Air Force. 

Your generosity strengthens landmark exhibitions and programs through activities such as:

  • Professionally document and reproduce historic Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF) murals.
  • Preserve the legacy of the RCAF for new generations of students and artists.
  • Increase student and community awareness of Sacramento State’s important history in the Chicano movement.
  • Expand community outreach and educational programming with artist presentations, exhibition tours, and site visits to the murals.

This powerful exhibition is the first ever to focus exclusively on the murals of the Royal Chicano Air Force. Through murals, posters, and educational workshops, founding members such as José Montoya, Esteban Villa, Juanishi Orosco, Rudy Cuellar, and Ricardo Favela blended art and activism to support the Chicano Movement and elevate the Chicano experience. The impact of the RCAF continues into the present through new city murals, and on our campus, through the Art Education Barrio Art teacher training program.

Painting La Comuniversidad brings these stories to life through large-scale reproductions of key murals in Sacramento: Emergence of the Chicano Social Struggle in a Bi-Cultural Society, Southside Park, and Metamorphosis. In the upcoming exhibition visitors can experience the murals up close and explore original drawings, activist posters, archival materials, video interviews with RCAF artists, AND participate in an interactive Barrio Art mural project. You are also invited to join us for free tours and talks led by guest curator and Sac State alumna Janina López.

With over 9,000 visitors annually, the University Galleries fosters curiosity, diversity, and creative engagement at Sacramento State. This exhibition not only celebrates the Royal Chicano Art Force and the Chicano movement but also reaffirms Sacramento State’s historic and ongoing role in uplifting voices and communities whose impact continues to enrich the entire campus community.

Join us in honoring the past and inspiring the future. Make a gift today to support the University Galleries and exhibitions that celebrate creativity, community, and cultural heritage across our campus.

Painting La Comuniversidad: Three Murals of the Royal Chicano Air Force

Opening Reception: Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 6:30PM
Exhibition Dates: February 12 – May 2, 2026

University Library Gallery, Sacramento State

Mailing instructions:

Please mail checks to: University Foundation at Sacramento State PO Box 845004 Los Angeles, CA 90084-5004.

To view Sacramento State's full equal opportunity statement, please click here:  Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment | Sacramento State