Join acclaimed Chicano painter and muralist Frank Romero, a founding member of the influential art collective Los Four, for a conversation with his nephew, poet and publisher David A. Romero of El Martillo Press. Together, they will explore family, artistic legacy, Chicano identity and the role of art in the struggle for civil rights.
The program will feature two short documentaries about Frank Romero's career, a poetry reading by David A. Romero inspired by his uncle’s artwork, and an audience Q&A. Frank Romero’s artwork will also be on display for visitors to enjoy before the conversation.
Frank Romero, born July 11, 1941, is an acclaimed American painter and muralist recognized as a pioneer of the Chicano art movement. Born and raised in Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, his prolific career spans over sixty years, defining the visual language of Mexican American civil rights, urban car culture, and Chicano identity through vibrant, expressionist colors. In 1973, he co-established the influential Chicano art collective Los Four alongside Carlos Almaraz, Gilbert Luján, and Roberto de la Rocha. In 1974, Los Four became the first Chicano artists to exhibit at a major mainstream art institution during their landmark show at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). In 1984, he painted the iconic, large-scale freeway mural “Going to the Olympics” on the 101 Freeway to celebrate the Olympics in Los Angeles. In 1986, he painted his most famous work, “Death of Rubén Salazar” a widely recognized masterpiece memorializing the slain Los Angeles Times journalist, which highlights police brutality during the 1970 Chicano Moratorium. His work is preserved in permanent collections at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, LACMA, and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture.
David A. Romero is a Mexican American poet, novelist, and publisher from Diamond Bar, California. He is the cofounder and editor-in-chief of El Martillo Press. Romero is the author of the novel “The Enemy Sleeps” (El Martillo Press, 2026) and the books of poetry “Diamond Bars 2” (Moon Tide Press, 2024) and “My Name Is Romero” (FlowerSong Press, 2020). Romero has received honoraria from nearly a hundred colleges and universities in thirty-four different states in the United States and has also performed live in France, Italy, and Mexico. His poem “You Were Born a Tree” was sent to the moon by NASA in 2025 as part of the Lunar Codex. Romero’s work has been published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies. He won the Uptown Slam at the historic Green Mill in Chicago. Romero’s poetry deals with family, identity, social justice issues, and Latine culture.