I met Xico González while we were both students at Cal State University, Sacramento. We were working on various projects at the Washington Neighborhood Center with incredible artists and community leaders such as Ricardo Favela, Jose Montoya (Royal Chicano Air Force) and Jose Lott. We were in the shadow of giants, listening to stories and observing the way arts,culture,and activism were used to empower community. Reflecting back, these times had a major impact on us—we were young,first-generation college students who were into the arts and had the luck of being in a community with maestros who took the time to encourage our creativity and show us the importance of serving our gente.

I went off to start Sol Collective, which Xico has always been a member of,and he went off to be a master printer,educator and community activist. His work has been instrumental to statewide and national protests, with his posters distributed in every major action in the past 25 years. I can’t imagine what protests and demonstrations would have looked like in Sacramento and beyond without Xico’s work. Xico has used his art and skill to serve the community and he has become an educator to support and mentor the next generation. I am proud of the community leader,artist,husband,father he has become and it is exciting to see his work and impact being recognized nationally. — Estella Sanchez

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Xico González is an award winning educator, artist, poet, and a political and cultural activista. He received a MA in Spanish from Sacramento State, and a MFA in Studio Art from the University of California, Davis. González has exhibited widely since the late 90s and is well known for his politically- charged silkscreen posters and his revoltoso poetry. His work is archived at Sacramento State,San José State,The Center for the Study of Political Graphics, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, amongst other public and private collections. González currently teaches Spanish and Studio Art at the Met Sacramento High School, where he continues to promote social and cultural awareness in and out of the classroom.

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