More than 40 people showed up at the Mexican Museum in Fort Mason last week to explore the art of Leopoldo Méndez and a set of prints recently restored by the Media Workers Guild.
Art experts said the Guild’s prints represented some of Méndez’s best work. They were purchased at a second-hand store by the late Guild officer and Chronicle copy editor Rex Adkins in the early 1980s.
The prints were restored by Karen Zukor, an Oakland expert in paper conservation. She participated in a panel held last week at the Mexican Museum, which also included museum director David de la Torre and Media Guild Executive Officer Carl Hall.
“All of our members have a right to be proud that we took good care of this work, and recognize its value,” Hall said.
Hall and freelance Guild member Alexandra Early co-wrote a story about the Méndez prints and their restoration which ran in the Chronicle’s Datebook section along with photos by Carlos Gonzalez.
The museum also has two works by Méndez in an ongoing exhibition, “Dialogos Gráficos.” The unique exhibition, which comprises pieces from the museum’s renowned permanent collection, showcases the rich printmaking traditions of Mexico, dating back to the days of José Guadalupe Posada (1851–1913) through today’s modern graphic artists and printmakers.
