Local Latino and Indigenous Arts Organization Celebrates 50 Years of Service

For fifty years, Xico has provided accessible arts programming in Phoenix. Their offerings include a printmaking studio, exhibition space, classes, workshops, a local artisan mercado, and community engagement through mobile printmaking. 

“Xico is an asset because we make art accessible while honoring and preserving cultural identity,” said Elexus Lopez, program manager at Xico. “We serve as a creative hub where culture, education, and community meet, particularly for those who’ve been historically left out of these spaces.”

Xico is an artistic pillar in downtown Phoenix. Its mission, according to its website, is that it “advances the quality, visibility, and appreciation of Latino and Indigenous culture by advancing appreciation for and visibility of Latino and Indigenous art.” 

Xico does this in multiple ways: partnering with local nonprofit organizations, schools, and curatorial partners, providing accessibility to art, and educating the community through different programs.

 Xico offers a variety of engaging programs, including printmaking workshops. Additionally, there are artist-led classes designed to inspire creativity, along with mobile art outreach initiatives that bring art directly into the community. The organization also hosts an artist residency program, providing a unique opportunity for artists to develop their work in a supportive environment. Within Xico's physical space, there’s an exhibition space, Mercado, and a printmaking studio, creating a vibrant hub for creativity and collaboration. Furthermore, the community space is available to rent out for various events. 

Xico was founded in 1975 at the height of the Chicano Movement, the “largest and most widespread civil rights and empowerment movement by Mexican-descent people in the United States.” Xico was originally named Xicanindo, but it was later shortened to Xico.

Nadia Rivera, the organization’s interim director, said that it all comes down to representation and creating a presence. “In this case, Latino and Indigenous communities, it’s about claiming our space in not only the local art scene, right, but just art in general,” she said. “It’s about storytelling. It’s about preserving our culture and our history…and if we don’t do it, it’s not going to be done for us.” 

Printmaking Studio at Xico

Prints have historically documented the struggles of the oppressed and celebrated the achievements of social reform throughout Mexican history,” according to Xico’s website. They host a 4,600 square foot facility that includes an etching press, a lithopress, a 3-D printer, and a laser engraver. 

Xico continues to uphold and honor these methods, drawing inspiration from the impactful work of artists like Jose Guadalupe Posada and Taller de Gráfica Popular whose influence endures to this day. We persist in pushing the boundaries of artistic expression, following in the footsteps of Los Tres Grandes (Siquieros, Rivera, and Orozco), who revolutionized Mexican art. At Xico, they strive to share knowledge about this art form with communities that identify as Chicano, Indigenous, or Latinx. 

Printmaking isn’t only in-studio either: it’s gone mobile. The organization has a mobile printmaking program that provides free opportunities to communities to learn and interact with printmaking. Xico offers Say Yes to The Press, a mobile printmaking program that brings free hands-on workshops to Title I schools and community spaces across Arizona. It introduces youth and families to printmaking as a tool for storytelling and self-expression.

“We aim to reach locations that may not typically offer these types of artistic opportunities for youth and to engage with communities that might otherwise miss out,” Lopez said. “Our focus is on rural and underserved areas where resources like this equipment and art programming are often limited."

Lopez emphasized that while the issue revolves around making art accessible to everyone, it also plays a crucial role in honoring and preserving cultural identities.

“Our programs and workshops don’t just teach technique—they empower people to share their stories, connect with their heritage, and engage with other artists and the community.”

---

To learn more about Xico, please visit: https://xico.org/

Photo courtesy of Xico.