Sunday, August 10, 2014

Emidgio Vasquez, descansa en paz

emigdio_vasquez_cypress_street_mural_2009.jpg
Emigdio Vasquez in 2009. Photo by Keith May.

Over at the OC Weekly, Gustavo Arellano reports that OC artist Emigdio Vasquez has passed away.

Denizens of IVC may recognize the artist as the one whose artwork, a large mural, distinguishes the B-100 building.  In the 1990s, Vasquez was also a frequent visitor to campus, appearing at various events and participating in the annual Kinder Caminata. One year his work graced the cover of college literary journal, the Ear

Arellano writes:
"Emigidio Vasquez, a legendary Chicano artist most famous for his epic murals that continue to dot Orange County, passed away yesterday after a long illness. He was 74.

Born in the mining town of Jerome, Arizona, Vasquez moved to Orange's Cypress Street barrio in the 1940s and eventually gravitated toward painting. In his heyday, he achieved the almost-impossible: mainstream, underground AND governmental success, as his works became famous nationwide among art lovers and lionized among Chicano activists. He even scored contracts to do public murals for the county of Orange (the sprawling epic of OC history off the old OCTA bus terminal near the Civic Center in SanTana) and the city of Anaheim (in a mural located in the lobby of Anaheim City Hall) during the 1980s....
Here's a link to the rest of the article: 
Emigdio Vasquez, Legendary Chicano Artist, Passes Away

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

His mural in B100 needs to be protected more. It is hung there without any covering, no glass, nothing.

Anonymous said...

where has our family virtues gone to? of this chicono activist our heritage that were all stuck in our own world. with internet and game consoles. do u even know what kind of artist he was? and hes paving the world for other chicano can do anything they love doing and hes a good role model that kids can look up to or even adults.hopefully there will be something front page of all news papers of this chicano activist. give credit were credit is due and hopefully they will set up donations where under his name for un-privelaged chicanos and other ethnic race for a scholarship to a good art intuition. only time can tell so next time when your sitting with your family think of this activist or any other activist out there. sincerely,
from a small town in texas

Rebel Girl said...

Many of us at IVC have always valued Emigdio Vasquez who gave so much of himself.

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...