Prints from M.A.R.S. on exhibit at the ASU Art Museum

TEMPE, Ariz. – A collection of vibrant prints from the recently closed Movimiento Artistico del Rio Salado (M.A.R.S.) Artspace will be on exhibit from Jan. 2 – May 22, 2004 at the ASU Art Museum. M.A.R.S. was an artist’s cooperative and gallery that thrived in Phoenix from 1981 until 2002 and exhibited members’ artwork and prints from Self-Help Graphics, a silkscreen print collective in Los Angeles. When M.A.R.S. closed, it donated an impressive legacy of prints to the museum.

“M.A.R.S. Artspace was a showcase for contemporary artists, poets, writers and performers, and specialized in promoting Mexican-American and Chicano artists,” says ASU Art Museum print curator Jean Makin. “The screenprints, lithographs and monoprints in this exhibition convey these artists’ cultural identity, pride and artistic achievement.”

To help provide operational support for its Artspace, M.A.R.S. members created limited edition prints for sale. Several of those prints are included in this colorful exhibition that is a historic reminder of the legacy of M.A.R.S. and its ground-breaking influence on the downtown Phoenix art scene.

The ASU Art Museum, named “the single most impressive venue for contemporary art in Arizona” by Art in America, is part of the Herberger College of Fine Arts at Arizona State University. The museum is located on the southeast corner of Mill Avenue and 10th Street in Tempe and entry is free. Hours are 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. on Tuesdays (during the academic year), and 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The museum will be closed for the ASU winter break from Dec. 25, 2003 - Jan. 1, 2004. For more information, call (480) 965-2787 or visit the museum online at http://asuartmuseum.asu.edu.

Media Contact:
Denise Tanguay 
480.965.7144
denise.tanguay@asu.edu