About

Dr. Richard and Rebecca Zapanta, both born and raised in East Los Angeles, started their collection of Mexican art over 30 years ago. True to their roots, they have been long been committed to the cause of education and the arts in the Hispanic community.

The Zapanta’s passion for Mexican art has resulted in a unique and well recognized collection, even creating lifelong friendships with some of the artists. Their collection has been exhibited at various venues including the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles, The San Diego Art Museum, The Bakersfield Art Museum, The Luckman Fine Arts Gallery at California State University Los Angeles, The National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago and several others. Additionally, they envisioned and spearheaded the creation of a historic mural completed by renowned Mexican Artist Maestro Raúl Anguiano at East Los Angeles College in 2002.

Recently, the collection traveled abroad to the University Museum and Art Gallery at The University of Hong Kong and then to the Yuchengco Museum in Manila, Philippines. In 2019, the collection was exhibited at the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College in Winterpark, Florida.

The collection has always been the focal point and foundation of the Zapanta family home in Whittier, California, emphasizing the importance of their Mexican roots. They have opened their home to numerous philanthropic, political and educational events, welcoming the public to view and learn about different aspects of Mexican history and culture through their collection.

Dr. Richard and Rebecca Zapanta are proud to share their love of art, education and their Mexican heritage with the world.

Reviews

Forward from Gregorio Luke, Lecturer and author, specialist in Mexican Art and Culture | 2016 Hong Kong Catalogue

“As a fourth generation Mexican-American, collecting contemporary art has become a way for Richard Zapanta to reconnect with his roots. When selecting art, he employs a highly methodical approach, intensely studying traditional and emerging artistic styles, keeping abreast of current exhibitions, analysing auction trends and always insisting on viewing the artworks in person before making a purchase.

The result of these efforts is a significant collection of 20th-century Mexican art that includes examples of nearly all of the relevant styles and primary figures. The Zapanta Mexican Art Collection has been exhibited in numerous museums throughout the United States, and now is being shown for the first time in an international venue.

A defining characteristic of the collection is the personal relationship that Dr. Zapanta establishes with the artists. Friendships lead to advocacy, and Richard and his wife Rebecca have been instrumental in organizing exhibitions and securing public commissions for Mexican artists across the United States.

There also is a highly social dimension to the Zapanta Collection. Their home is always open to civic leaders, businessmen and politicians, to young professionals and art enthusiasts alike. Many have discovered México on the walls of their home; others have been inspired to begin their own collections or even to become artists themselves.”

Forward from James Cuno, President & CEO, The J. Paul Getty Trust | 2016 Hong Kong Catalogue

“The Zapanta Collection is, like all great collections, highly personal. Each work was acquired because the Zapanta’s fell in love with it and had to have it and to live with it. Many of them, like those by Rodolfo Morales and Raul Anguiano were acquired out of friendships with the artists. And that matters a lot to Rebecca and Richard. The paintings and drawings they collect are artifacts of personal relationships, theirs with the artists who made the works and their with their friends with whom they share them.

They want their collection to be seen and enjoyed by people who might never before have seen works made by Mexican artists but who bring to the experience a hunger for new experiences.

The Zapanta’s are proud of their Mexican heritage, just as they are proud of their U.S. and Los Angeles identities. In this way, and much like the works in their collection, they are ambassadors dedicated to bringing people together over the shared experience of looking at works of art. For this they should be greatly admired and deeply thanked.”