Mission and Legacy: Friends of Mexican Art’s Enduring Impact in the Valley and Beyond

​Mission and Legacy celebrates the enduring influence of Friends of Mexican Art on the PhxArt Collection through outstanding works by the most renowned Mexican artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Friends of Mexican Art, colloquially known as FOMA, was founded in 1963 with a mission to encourage understanding and awareness of the importance of Mexican art and culture. Over nearly 60 years, the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization strengthened cultural ties between the Greater Phoenix Metro community and Mexico, while increasing the representation of Mexican art at Phoenix Art Museum, Heard Museum, Scottsdale Center for the Arts, Phoenix Public Library, Arizona State University Art Museum, Mesa Arts Center, and other Valley cultural organizations through the support of art acquisitions and exhibitions.

Friends of Mexican Art sunset as an organization in 2022, and Mission and Legacy celebrates their impact on the Valley and beyond. 

The exhibition features works by many of the most renowned Mexican artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, including José Clemente Orozco, Enrique Chagoya, Carlos Mérida, Rufino Tamayo, Francisco Zúñiga, and Alfredo Ramos Martínez. FOMA donated these works to Phoenix Art Museum over its long history, helping to form the foundation of the Museum’s Latin American art collection, which was formally established in 1992.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website