Artwork Detail

Mexican artist José Sacal created this three-foot-tall bronze sculpture in 2012 to honor two important women with roots in Los Angeles County: civil rights activist Dolores Huerta and former U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis. In 2018, the artist donated the artwork to the County and is on display at the Millard Sheets Art Center at the Fairplex—home of the LA County Fair—which welcomes thousands of County residents annually, and is located in the City of Pomona, where both iconic women have deep connections. Dolores Huerta is a living civil rights icon who has dedicated her life as a political activist for farm workers, immigrants and women and former Secretary of Labor. Hilda L. Solis was the first Latina to serve in the United States Cabinet and is currently the First District Supervisor of LA County. Solis’ priorities include expanding access to affordable health care, protecting the environment, and improving the lives of working families. The sculpture is an important addition to the Millard Sheets Arts Center’s year-round exhibitions.

José Sacal is a Mexican sculptor and ceramist born in the city of Cuernavaca, Morelos in 1944. He studied at the School of Arts of the National Institute of Fine Arts in Cuernavaca, where he first discovered painting and modeling. He spent most of his youth at Cuernavaca and later moved to Mexico City. Sacal studied at the School of Painting and Sculpture of La Esmeralda under master sculptor Francisco Zúñiga. Before being an artist, at the age of 24 he worked in fashion, which allowed him to travel to Paris, Rome and New York. Sacal then returned to Mexico and experimented in sculpture where he developed his unique style. Sacal’s sculptures are figurative experiments of the human body, blending abstract with surrealism. His work is displayed all around Mexico City, the United States and Europe. To learn more visit: Inicio José Sacal - Jose Sacal