In 2021, one of the most important phone calls I ever made was to Laredo native César A. Martínez, known as the Godfather of Chicano Art. I was nervous to ask an artist of his stature to exhibit at the Laredo Center for the Arts as part of our Art Acquisition Project.
He said yes.
Little did I know how personal and significant this experience would become.
As I researched César’s work, I came across Dando Vida, a woodblock print depicting a skeleton beneath an agave plant. It was the image I had seen at the home of my aunt and uncle since childhood. I remember running past it because it frightened me.
My fellow board member and artist Pedro Morales, my husband Alex, and I borrowed a trailer from a family member and drove to San Antonio to collect the artwork for the exhibit César named En Mi Casa. We met César and his wife, Diana Molina, at their home and quickly thereafter became referred to as “The Three Musketeers.”
As César casually selected pieces for En Mi Casa, I was surrounded by artwork covering his walls and filling the corners of his home.
Nearly 47 years after I first saw Dando Vida as a child, I came across it in César’s home as we prepared his hometown exhibition. When I saw Dando Vida, my eyes filled with tears. The image I had run past as a little girl had now brought me face-to-face with its creator.
En Mi Casa became one of the most significant exhibitions staged at the Laredo Center for the Arts. It shaped our vision to showcase Laredo natives who had left home to pursue their artistic dreams.
His homecoming began with a pep rally at his alma mater, Martin High School (MHS). Atop the many gestures of welcome, César was presented the Key to the City of Laredo.
The evening reception at the Laredo Center for the Arts, replete with a musical salute of El Rey performed by the MHS Mariachi Tigres del Sur, was a celebration of art, history, family, and friendship.
What he shared with the student body of MHS and later at the opening reception of En Mi Casa were the powerful, inspiring words of an artist who had believed in his own possibilities.
His homecoming marked the beginning of a friendship rooted in mutual appreciation. It has has grown to include birthday celebrations, dinners, impromptu studio visits, and his attendance at my curatorial debut at the Mercury Project in San Antonio.
On a recent visit, César told me he had found two prints of Dando Vida and invited me to choose one. Overwhelmed by his generosity, I was stunned by the unexpected gift.
This past September, the Three Musketeers surprised César and Diana at his El Paso exhibition, El Otro Camino, which featured works spanning over four decades. Diana shared with us that César would be receiving the Art League Houston Lifetime Achievement Award at its 2026 Gala and invited us to be with them on this very special occasion. I felt immense pride in our fellow Laredoan and gratitude for a friendship I treasure.
What began as a nervous phone call years ago became a deeply personal, full-circle moment — one of affirmation of the power of art to connect us to our past and to celebrate our community by bringing our stories home.
César’s impact on Laredo reaches far beyond his art. He has left an enduring imprint on our community, and one forever on my heart.
(Melissa M. Amici is Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the Laredo Center for the Arts and has been an advocate for the arts and art collector since 2008. She also serves on the board of the Laredo Cultural District and the City of Laredo Arts & Cultural Advisory Committee. Melissa is passionate about promoting the arts, fostering cultural enrichment, and strengthening Laredo’s creative community. She along with her family, Alex Mendez and two children, Isabella and Alessandro, enjoy traveling and experiencing the arts and cultures of various regions.)
