In celebration of the launch of the exhibition catalog for Teddy Sandoval and the Butch Gardens School of Art, co-curator C. Ondine Chavoya joined ICI and The Latinx Project at NYU for a wide-ranging conversation. The exhibition and catalog not only celebrate the legacy of artist Teddy Sandoval (1949–1995)—a central yet understudied figure in Los Angeles’s queer and Chicanx artistic circles, who was an active participant in avant-garde movements in the United States and internationally—but also reflect Chavoya and co-curator David Evans Frantz’s ongoing efforts to share the work of queer Latinx artists. Through their curatorial practices, Chavoya and Frantz help to preserve the legacies of those who have been largely neglected by mainstream art historical and museological narratives.
In this talk, Chavoya reflected on his and Frantz's curatorial process, highlighting the deep research and relationship-building with artists and their friends and families that guided their work. He also explored their own long-term collaboration and the cooperative practices they have used to design exhibitions built on values of collectivity and deep scholarship.
