Vincent Valdez: Just a Dream…

Vincent Valdez bears witness to the world around him, chronicling America at the margins. Just a Dream… is the artist’s first major museum survey including work from over twenty years across all media. The exhibition is co-organized by MASS MoCA (May 25, 2025 – March 29, 2026) and CAMH (November 16, 2024 – March 23, 2025).

The accompanying publication features writings addressing Valdez’s work through the lens of American politics today, addressing topics such as boxing, lynchings of Mexican Americans, border walls, politics, greed, the Ku Klux Klan, and the failings and triumphs of society. The bilingual (English/Spanish) catalogue is lushly illustrated and features a gatefold and a special sewn in booklet of behind-the-scenes studio images.

Texts include a re-print of Joyce Carol Oates’ On Boxing, essays by exhibition curators Denise Markonish and Patricia Restrepo; and writing on the artist’s relationship to Texas by Evan Garza. This exhibition and publication will cement Valdez as one of the most important American painters working today – imaging his country, its people, politics, pride, and foibles. 224 pages. Hardcover.

Photos by Ruben Diaz