The Garfield Park Library Friends invite you to an art exhibit featuring the work of local historian, writer, painter, and sculptor Enrique M. Buelna. The work will be on display at the Garfield Park Branch Library from November 18, 2026 through February 18, 2027. Join us for an artist reception on Saturday, November 21.
Enrique’s art reflects the Indigenous roots of Chicano identity and culture. His pieces draw on food, religious iconography, flora and fauna, traditions, and contemporary popular culture. Hummingbirds, blossoms, and the bold, saturated color of the natural world are among his subjects. Most of his work is mixed media. He layers acrylic paint with cut paper, dimensional paint, pencil, ink, handmade decorative paper, and gel medium. His papier-mâché sculptures combine paper clay, acrylics, ink, and handmade decorative paper.
For Enrique, art is another way of exploring history. He holds a Doctorate in History from UC Irvine, and he taught in the History Department at Cabrillo College for more than twenty years before retiring. Before that, he taught Chicano Studies at Cal State Northridge. He is the author of Chicano Communists and the Struggle for Social Justice (University of Arizona Press, 2019), and his artwork has appeared in Journal X. In both his scholarship and his art, he works to recover, reinterpret, and celebrate the stories, traditions, and experiences that have shaped Chicano life and culture.
Come to the reception to see the work up close, meet the artist, and hear about the history and inspiration behind each piece. If you can’t make the reception, stop by any time during the three-month exhibit.
Exhibit: November 18, 2026 – February 18, 2027
Artist Reception: Saturday, November 21, 2:30–4:30 pm
Where: Garfield Park Branch Library, 705 Woodrow Ave, Santa Cruz
Free and open to all.
Learn more about the work of the Garfield Park Library Friends.
