Mission Gráfica: Reflecting a Community in Print 

Thursday, January 9 – Sunday, March 9, 2025

The Ontario Museum of History & Art (OMHA) is pleased to present Mission Gráfica: Reflecting a Community in Print, a stunning exhibition featuring dozens of screenprints from Mission Gráfica, a community print center of diversity and cultural ferment in San Francisco. Founded in 1982 as part of the Mission Cultural Center, Mission Gráfica became the most sought-after political poster center in the Bay Area in the 1980s. Mission Gráfica opens on January 9, 2025, and will be on view through March 9, 2025.  

The Mission Gráfica printmaking studio was created through the joint efforts of René Castro, a political refugee from Augusto Pinochet’s coup in Chile, and Jos Sances, a Sicilian American, Vietnam war draft resister with a base in commercial printing. Castro’s brilliant graphic design melded with Sances’ technical mastery to create the backbone of this renowned print center. During the 1990s, Mission Gráfica was reformulated under the direction of Juan R. Fuentes, who emphasized community projects and classes. He created a more open workshop that served artists exploring personal visions and activists involved in local struggles from gentrification to homelessness.   

This temporary exhibition reflects an enormous variety of styles, approaches, and sensibilities. The artists range from non-professional and emerging artists to well-known figures such as Carmen Lomas Garza, Nancy Hom, Rupert Garcia, Mildred Howard, Jean La Marr, Ester Hernandez, Michael Roman, and the San Francisco Print Collective. Visitors will explore themes of US Imperialism, gender inequality and women’s empowerment, cultural celebrations, Indigenous America, and more.  

Mission Gráfica: Reflecting a Community in Print is a touring exhibition developed in partnership with the San Francisco Public Library, artists from Mission Gráfica, and Exhibit Envoy. It is based on the book of the same name.