Photo: Artist Lorraine García Nakata receives recognition from SF Supervisor Hillary Ronen during the unveiling of the “Make Things New” muralby Olman Valle Hernández
With the goal of making art visible and promoting culture in San Francisco, renowned Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF) artist Lorraine García Nakata presented her work entitled “Make Things New.”
The unveiling ceremony took place on Oct. 23 at the facilities of the central building known as “Casa Blanca,” which currently operates as a housing center for hundreds of families, located at 2828 16th Street.
The event was attended by local authorities, specialists in fine arts, family members, special guests and close friends of the artist. As part of the event’s agenda, Lorraine received recognition from the local authorities of San Francisco, who thanked her for her valuable contribution to cultural development, as well as her career, dedication and role as an example for future generations.
It is important to note that, for many years, the indigenous cultural corridor has been made visible, which consists of a series of 4,000 square foot murals designed specifically for its residents, where indigenous wisdom is recognized.
“As a muralist, my intention was to create a general place of rest, dignity and ‘medicine’ for all those who walk daily through this open space. The ‘Make Things New’ murals affirm the need and power of visualization in areas such as the vindication of joy, the bond between parents and children, precious indigenous wisdom, transformation, the presence of youth and male contemplation,” said García-Nakata.
Lorraine García-Nakata is a founding member of the Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF), an artist collective that has exhibited locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. She is widely recognized as an artist, cultural specialist, community activist, and cultural carrier. Her creative work spans diverse disciplines including visual arts, music, and writing. Skilled in a variety of visual art media, she is noted for her large-scale drawings and paintings, as well as her mastery of mixed media, printmaking, installation work, ceramics, sculpture, and photography.
In 2003, the California Arts Council awarded Lorraine a Visual Arts Fellowship, and in 2008 she was appointed by the Mayor as an Arts Commissioner for the San Francisco Arts Commission. In 2009, she was appointed by the U.S. Congress as a Commissioner to explore the creation of a National Museum of the American Latino. Since 2012, she is a founding member of the Latino Historical Society of San Francisco, and in 2023 she was invited to the Artist Advisory Board of the Art Space Land Trust. In 2015, Stanford University Library Special Collections acquired the Lorraine Garcia-Nakata Papers, and that same year, her book Chola Enterprises was published by Copilot Press. In 2018, her book Children’s Stories for Adults was published by BRC Publishing.
Lorraine has been recognized in multiple academic publications, by the U.S. Congress and the California State Legislature, and has been included in Victoria Alvarado’s Women of Conscience and Dr. Ella María Díaz’s seminal work Flying Under the Radar with the Royal Chicano Air Force, among others.
Lorraine currently continues to live and work in San Francisco, and will continue to contribute all of her artistic knowledge to culture, leaving an exceptional legacy to future generations passionate about their roots and identity.
