Time to Get Ready: Fotografía Social | Civil Rights Photography of Maria Varela

About

Inspired by social justice activism in her south side Chicago Catholic high school, Maria Varela (b. 1940) accepted an invitation in 1963 to join the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), a civil rights organization working in the U.S. south. She helped develop a voter literacy program and by 1965 was the only female staff photographer for SNCC. In 1968 the experienced civil rights activist accepted an invitation from Reies Lopez Tijerina to join the Land Grant Movement in New Mexico. When members of the movement requested help in restoring ancestral lands and cultural practices, she supported them in establishing co-ops and non-for-profits to help improve their lives. "The images in this exhibition reflect the evolution of resistance movements over nearly three decades, from demonstrations to political organizing to establishing alternative institutions, which would model what we would do 'if we were in charge.'" — Maria Varela. About the Photographer: Maria Varela (American, b. 1940) was a staff member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963-1967 working primarily in Alabama and Mississippi. Varela created filmstrips and photo books utilized by SNCC and local community organizers for various organizing campaigns. As a SNCC staffer, she also photographed marches, as the presence of cameras often protected marchers from violence. In 1968, she moved to New Mexico at the invitation of leaders of the Hispano land rights movements. She also continued her photography documenting the 1968 Poor People Campaign, the first Chicano Youth Conference, the 1960s and 1970s Chicago movement, and the lifestyles of Nuevo Mexicano villages. For 40 years Maria organized rural communities in New Mexico and the Southwest to create culturally sustainable economic enterprises to help reduce poverty and loss of ancestral lands. In 1990, she was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship for this work. For the last six decades, Maria's work has been featured in books, magazines, TV media, and photo exhibitions. Her photographs can be found in the collections of the National Museum of African American Art, National Museum of Mexican Art, and the National Gallery of Art. This exhibition was organized by the National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago, IL. Sponsored by Chicago Park District, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Illinois Arts Council Agency.