Botas de Charro opening reception

Botas de Charro explores the mariachi community in Los Angeles through cultural identity, tradition, and belonging. Drawing from her experience as a mariachi violinist and vocalist, Josefina Guadalupe Chavez photographs musicians who have shaped her artistic formation across classroom settings, rehearsals, backyard celebrations, and concert stages. These portraits punctuate the presence and individuality of her subjects while evoking a broader cultural landscape—one in which music operates as both practice and inheritance.

About The Artist

Josefina Guadalupe Chavez (b. 2006, Los Angeles, CA) is a Mexican American lens-based artist working primarily in portraiture. Raised in Los Angeles, Chavez is informed by her experience growing up between cultures and considers how the primary driving force behind her work is the Mexican American community of Los Angeles. Members of the community, while hardworking and resilient, create spaces of belonging and home even while far from their native lands. Her work serves as a living archive of the community that has raised her.

Special thank you to our funders, The Arnold & Augusta Newman Foundation for making this exhibition possible.