Mario Ybarra, Jr.

Mario Ybarra, Jr.’s work featured in the Sweeney Art Gallery centers on the Mexican-American experience in general and, more specifically, on the songwriters Chalino Sanchez and his son Adan. Chalino and his son were Mexican-American performers who wrote songs about gritty subjects such as drug running and other criminal activity. Ybarra’s drawings of the Sanchez men are coupled with a video that displays a live musical performance. Viewers can sit in a row of concert-style chairs and view the recorded show. In addition to his contributions to the gallery space, Ybarra also spoke during Riverside’s First Thursdays Artswalk event where he shared the history of Chalino and Adan Sanchez with audiences.

- DH