Chen Gallery presents ‘Perspectivas: In Honor of Gilberto Cárdenas’

The Chen Art Gallery will present “Perspectivas: In Honor of Gilberto Cárdenas,” an exhibition of Latino art curated by Central students.

The student curators, Alyssia Rolfe, Katherine Plotkin, and Pricila Cabezas, worked with art collections at Central, the University of Saint Joseph, and private collectors in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month and renowned Latino Studies scholar and art collector Dr. Gilberto Cárdenas. 

The works included in “Perspectivas” visualize a journey through the experiences of Latinos and Latin Americans. The themes addressed by the artists include family traditions, religious faith, social justice, civil rights, immigration, exploitation, colonialism, and racial inequalities. 

The show was made possible by Connecticut Humanities and a donation from the Gilberto Cárdenas and Dolores García Collection. Cárdenas was a leading scholar of Latino Studies and an avid collector of Latino art. With his wife, he donated a part of their collection to the Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Center at Central Connecticut State University. Cárdenas passed away in July of 2026, and this exhibition honors his legacy and his contributions to Latino art. 

The exhibition will run through Oct. 2, and the public is welcome to attend the opening reception on Thursday, Sept. 3, from 4 to 6:30 p.m., as well as a public gallery talk on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 4 p.m. featuring Dr. Claudia Zapata, associate curator of Latino Art at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Tex. Refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will be served at both events. 

The Chen Art Gallery is in Maloney Hall, Room 202. Admission is free, and free parking is available at Welte Garage, adjacent to the art building. Learn more about the gallery, including regular hours, at ccsu.edu/chenartgallery/.