Building the Tomás Ybarra-Frausto Curatorial Fund
Supporting the professionalization of emerging curators and artists
We are thrilled to announce that the Rockefeller Brothers Fund has approved a generous $150,000 grant to establish the Tomás Ybarra-Frausto Curatorial Fund at The Latinx Project: Interdisciplinary Center for Arts and Culture at NYU. This fund will support exhibitions and the professionalization of curators in the field of Latinx art over the next three years.
The Latinx Project is seeking support from stakeholders and potential supporters to leverage this gift as part of a broader private initiative—matching and expanding these resources—to develop a scholarly rigorous and prestigious curatorial program. This initiative honors Tomás Ybarra-Frausto, one of the leading theorists and scholars of Chicano/a/x and Latinx visual culture, ensuring his legacy continues to shape the field for generations to come.
Since its founding, The Latinx Project at NYU has hosted over 18 exhibitions, built a significant research archive of artists, and provided curatorial support for some of the most promising emerging curators in the U.S. Through an open call process, we have selected a diverse roster of curators, many of whom have gone on to become leading scholars and art professionals.
Our goal is to secure the long-term sustainability of this initiative by extending the seed grant beyond the initial three-year grant. We are hoping to match and exceed the Rockefeller Brothers Fund gift to secure the program through 2030 and beyond.
Potential supporters are invited to join us in this vital effort through a tax-deductible contribution to our endowment campaign via this link. Join this initiative and help us build an enduring legacy for Latinx art and curatorial practice.
About Tomás Ybarra-Frausto
Based in San Antonio, Texas, Tomás Ybarra-Frausto is known for his foundational essay “Rasquachismo: A Chicano Sensibility” which theorized the incorporation of popular cultural expression in Chicano art and culture. His research materials from 1965 to 2004 are housed in the Smithsonian Archives of American Art. Ybarra-Frausto was an associate director for creativity and culture at The Rockefeller Foundation in New York City and previously served as a faculty member at Stanford University, UC San Diego, and the University of Washington. Ybarra-Frausto was recognized as an honoree at The Latinx Project’s 2024 Spring Celebration.
In August 2024, Intervenxions at The Latinx Project reached out to the veteran critics Tomás Ybarra-Frausto and Amalia Mesa-Bains. Click here to read the interview “Amalia Mesa-Bains and Tomás Ybarra-Frausto in Conversation.”
Supporters
Institutional support for the Tomás Ybarra-Frausto Curatorial Fund is made possible by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Click here to donate and join the list of supporters.
Carlota Cardenas Dwyer
Arlene Dávila
Eduardo Diaz
Jennifer Gonzalez
Maria Herrera-Sobek
Ester Hernandez
George Lipsitz
Kathryn O’Rourke
Ellen Riojas Clark
Teresita Romo
Patricia Ruiz-Healy
Susan Toomey Frost
Anne Elise Urrutia and Mark Schlesinger, in honor of Tomás Ybarra-Frausto