Farm Workers' Exhibition (Nov. 1972)

By late 1971, the group reorganized once again as Con Safo with the invitation of Mel Casas (1929-2014) to the group. During this time, Casas was an art professor at SAC. The direct translation of con safos in English is “with safety” and is used by Chicano artists to mark graffiti as off-limits. Some Chicano artists also sign their work “c/s” as a way to protect their creations.

Definition and etymology of the term "Con Safo" and its usage by Chicano artists. Appears in Con Safo pamphlet listing the mission of the group, members, and honorary members.

The second Con Safo exhibit at Trinity was the Farm Workers’ Exhibition which took place from November 1 to November 14, 1972 in Laurie Auditorium. This exhibition was sponsored by the Trinity Educational Services Program and the Latin American Studies Department. The theme of this exhibition was to highlight the plight of farm workers in the United States.

The following articles from the Trinity Review show the differing opinions of students at Trinity University surrounding the Farm Worker's Exhibition.

In an exhibition summary written by Jim Barrett, he notes that this show will likely “...be overlooked by the majority…” and describes the students of Con Safo as “...a group down the hill in most circles….”

In a review of the Farm Worker’s Exhibition [referred to as the Con Safo Group Show], student Don Evans states that art and politics do not mix and that this makes it impossible for a viewer to understand the Chicano’s struggle through the art in the show.

“So don’t feel too bad if after seeing the Con Safo Group Show you didn’t become socially aware of the Chicano’s plight. You won’t unless you’re Chicano. Just go back and look again at the works themselves. These are the ways in which the members of Con Safo Group speak the best.” - Don Evans

In a response to Evans’ review, Felipe Reyes pushes back against Evans’ assertion that art and politics do not mix and urges viewers to recognize their own biases when critically looking at works that have political or social content.

“If you did not become more socially aware after the con Safo exhibition (even if you are not Chicano), we would like to urge you to question your complacency about your ability to respond.” - Felipe Reyes

The dialogue surrounding the Farm Worker’s Exhibition highlights the nuanced relationship between art and politics and differing beliefs on whether they belong together or not. The reviews and summaries of the show demonstrate a general pushback and disregard to the issues and ideas that most concerned Chicano artists during this time.