Sacramento State and regional arts organizations are marking more than five decades of the Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF) with a six-month series of events, including an exhibition at the University Library Gallery, according to an April 3 announcement.
The celebration highlights how RCAF’s blend of art and activism shaped Chicano identity in Sacramento and influenced public art across the region. The collective began in 1970 when professors José Montoya and Esteban Villa engaged students and community artists to advocate for farmworkers’ rights using bold, culturally inspired visual works.
Terezita Romo, co-founder of La Raza Galeria Posada and early member of RCAF, said, “The RCAF’s legacy, that spirit of art and activism, continues. Future generations need to know what that means and how it can be incorporated into these times.”
Montoya and Villa encouraged students to draw inspiration from their heritage while organizing cultural activities on campus. Their efforts soon expanded off-campus as they established Centro de Artistas Chicanos to promote Mexican American culture through art. Public murals created by RCAF members appeared throughout Sacramento neighborhoods like Southside Park, fostering community pride. “Murals were very important because they were public, and anyone could see them,” Romo said. “It was very much about claiming space and saying, ‘We see you, and we’re reflecting you.’”
Janina Sofia López—a Sac State alumna who worked on the current exhibit—said: “The RCAF and the Chicano Movement were really about building a community… sharing artwork… working collaboratively.” Members often used humor in their work; López noted that their name originated from confusion with the Royal Canadian Air Force: “They embraced the imagery, and it became part of their whole persona.”
RCAF’s influence persists today through programs like Barrio Art at Sac State led by Luis García since 2022. García said his goal is “to show students how to use art to explore their own identities… Use art to challenge or counter the circumstances that exist in their own communities.” Many original murals remain visible around Sacramento while others are preserved in museums across North America.
Artist Juan Carrillo described his time with RCAF as “transformative,” crediting fellow artists for giving purpose to his life through community engagement. The regional celebration now includes collaborations among several institutions under La Raza Galeria Posada’s series “InFormation: A Celebration of the Royal Chicano Air Force.”
Reflecting on this recognition during a recent tour at Sac State’s gallery exhibit Painting La Comuniversidad, artist Stan Padilla said: “It really confirms that what we were doing was real and lasting…”
