The George Vargas papers present a look at the interests, work, and activities of artist and historian George Vargas. The material is dated from approximately 1933-2016 and includes topical files, artwork, and correspondence.
The strength of the collection is found in the numerous lectures written by Vargas, which reveal the depth of his research, the original artwork, and the broader view of multi-cultural and, particularly, Latino art activities in Michigan. Also of note are his extensive files of artists that were of interest to him as well as his own papers and publications.
The researcher should note that many items in the collection overlap various series. As a result, researchers should—in addition to reviewing multiple series—be sure to look for the "see also" notes that help identify some of these overlaps.
George Vargas was born in Texas to Mexican American parents and later moved to Michigan where he was raised and educated. Like many other working-class youths, Vargas grew up working in the agricultural fields and auto factories. He went on to attend the University of Michigan, where he studied under Dr. Diane Kirkpatrick in art history and Black artist and historian Jon Onye Lockard in fine arts. In 1976, while a graduate student, Vargas proposed a new course to be added to the American Culture Program to diversify its course offerings. This course, which he called "A Historical Perspective: The Chicano Aesthetic/ Muralismo—Its Origins and Mexican Influences," was one of several courses proposed by students. As a result, the American Culture Program offered three new courses in 1977: "Native American Studies," "The Chicano Experience," and "The Black Experience." Vargas ultimately earned three degrees from the University of Michigan: a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Film (BFA '74), Master of Arts in American Culture/Latino Studies (MA '76), and Ph.D. in American Culture/Art History/Latin American Studies in 1988. His dissertation is titled: "Contemporary Latino Art in Michigan, the Midwest, and the Southwest." According to one of his former students, UCLA Professor Charlene Villaseñor Black, Vargas was the first Chicano to receive a Ph.D. in art history from the university.
Vargas has gone on to lead a fruitful career where he has held many titles, including: artist, muralist, author, art historian and Americanist, museum educator, teacher, lecturer, and arts administrator. In all of his work he continues to be an advocate for multi-cultural art. Vargas has instructed and lectured in various institutions such as the University of Texas at El Paso, Oakland University, the University of Michigan, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and Texas A&M University, Kingsville. As an artist and administrator, he has been actively involved with a myriad of art exhibitions, galleries, and conferences across the country since the mid 1970s, especially in Texas and Michigan. He is particularly proud of the "Artist of the Year" award he was given at the 1993 National Council of La Raza Silver Anniversary Conference Art Show in Detroit. His art is also present in many private art collections, including the collection of the late Latino musician Tito Puente. As an author, Vargas has several publications including: "Mago Gandara: A Woman Muralist at the Border" (monograph, Inter-American and Border Studies, University of Texas at El Paso, 1995), "Border Artists in the Contemporary El Paso Mural Movement: Painting the New Frontier," Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis (ed. Dennis J. Bixler-Marquez, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, Iowa, 1997), "Carlos Lopez: A Forgotten Michigan Painter" (monograph, Julian Samora Research Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 1998), "An Update on Chicano Art," Chicano Renaissance: Contemporary Cultural Themes (ed. David R. Maciel, Isidro D. Ortiz, and Maria Herrera-Sobek, University of Arizona Press, 2000), Contemporary Mexican American Art: New Art of the Americas (University of Texas Press, Austin, at press as of 2003), and "Latino Art Timeline and Commentary," Rediscovering America (ed. Carla Blank, Crown Publishing, Oakland, California, 2003). He received an educational fellowship to study Jewish culture, religion, and art in Israel in 2002. In 2010, Vargas published "Contemporary Chican@ Art: Color & Culture for a New America." He continues to be active in the fields of Chicano and Latino Art, among others.
