A companion website highlights select oral histories, 3D objects, historical biographies, and objects in the “¡Presente!” exhibition.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino inaugurated the Molina Family Latino Gallery on June 18 with its first exhibition, “¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States.” (Molina Family Latino Gallery. Credit: Tony Powell).
The Latino Museum opened the gallery at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and offer exhibitions and programs over the course of 10 years leading up to the opening of the museum’s building.
“The Molina Family Latino Gallery is the first iteration of the National Museum of the American Latino,” said Jorge Zamanillo, director of the National Museum of the American Latino. “It will take 10 to 12 years to open a museum building, but the gallery gives the public a preview of the museum’s potential.”
The Molina Family Latino Gallery’s premiere exhibition, “¡Presente!” introduces visitors to key concepts, moments, and biographies that illuminate U.S. Latinos’ historical and cultural legacies. The exhibition also tells the stories of Latinas and Latinos who have shaped the United States.
Indigenous freedom fighter Toypurina, Mexican American union leader César Chávez, Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente, Guatemalan labor organizer Luisa Moreno, Colombian American drag queen José Sarria and Cuban American singer Celia Cruz are some of the historical and contemporary figures featured in the exhibition.
The 4,500-square-foot gallery is designed as a space where multigenerational and cross-cultural visitors can celebrate and learn about Latino history and culture year-round. The Molina Family Latino Gallery is anchored in the universal principles of inclusive design to create a personally engaging and empowering visitor experience for visitors with varying physical, sensory, and cognitive conditions.
In addition, all content is available in English and Spanish. Audiences can learn how Latinos and Latinas have helped shape the United States and its national culture through historical artifacts, multimedia interactives, sensorial experiences, and learning space.
Ceiling-high object cases organized into four key themes line the gallery’s perimeter and showcase relevant historical artifacts, revealing documents, personal stories, and interpretive graphics. The historical themes cover “Colonial Legacies,” “War and U.S. Expansion,” “Immigration Stories,” and “Shaping the Nation.”
Eight-foot-tall interactive digital displays form El Foro (The Forum) at the center of the gallery where visitors can engage with 12 first-person oral histories from contemporary figures. Visitors can select stories through the touchscreen or an adjacent accessibility keypad.
The Somos Theater provides visitors with a contemplative space to watch the multimedia project “Somos” (“We Are”). The video installation was directed by writer and filmmaker Alberto Ferreras. “Somos” is the first commissioned piece for the theater and features a diverse group of Latinas and Latinos discussing identity, family histories, and firsthand experiences.
MUSLE, or Mapping the U.S. Latino Experience, delivers visual representations of national demographic data to tell the stories of the Latino experience in the United States. Visitors can activate one of four touchscreens to explore the 16 stories on income inequality, education, diversity, and more. Graphs and other images illustrate significant data points and convey stories from community organizations.
The General Motors Learning Lounge, a multifunctional studio within the Molina Gallery, will host presentations and hands-on activities. When needed, the lounge can be converted into a gathering place suitable for storytelling, podcasts, and lectures. The General Motors Learning Lounge is part of the Latino Museum’s strategy to enhance lifelong learning and increase access to the collections and resources spanning the arts, sciences, and humanities that are available through the Smithsonian, Latino Museum, and affiliated museums.
The Molina Family Latino Gallery was made possible by support from individuals, foundations, and corporations, including a $10 million lead gift from the family of C. David and Mary Molina. C. David Molina was a healthcare leader in California who founded Molina Healthcare Inc.
“This is a special year for the Molina Family Latino Gallery to open,” said Eduardo Díaz, acting deputy director of the National Museum of the American Latino. “It was 25 years ago that the Smithsonian founded the Latino Center to increase Latino representation across the Institution, which also helped pave the way for the Latino Museum. I am proud to have played a role in the gallery’s development and to help usher in the new Latino Museum.”
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