The Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF) is a Sacramento, California-based art collective, founded in 1970 by Ricardo Favela, José Montoya and Esteban Villa. It was one of the "most important collective artist groups" in the Chicano art movement in California during the 1970s and the 1980s and continues to be influential into the 21st century. History Founding and name In 1969 José Montoya moved to Sacramento to pursue a master's degree at CSU Sacramento. He and newly hired staff member Esteban Villa, both of whom had been active in the Mexican American Liberation Art Front, a Chicano movement group founded in the San Francisco Bay Area by Montoya's brother Malaquias, became active and soon created a circle of artists and activists interested in political and cultural work. The Rebel Chicano Arts Front, or RCAF, was founded by Montoya, Villa, and student Ricardo Favela to foster the arts in the Chicano/Latino community, to educate young people in arts, history and culture, promote political awareness, and to promote support for César Chávez and the United Farm Workers in the heavily agricultural Sacramento-Davis area. Regarding its name, one day when someone asked if "RCAF" meant the "Royal Canadian Air Force", one of the artists jokingly responded, "No, it means the Royal Chicano Air Force!" From then on, the artists used the "Air Force" motif in their artworks, programs, and activities. Activities Through the organizational framework of a collective, artists and community members established a silk screen operation to create multiples of images promoting art, cultural activities, community events, and political action. The work of Jose Guadalupe Posada, a Mexican printer of the late 1800s and early 1900s, inspired the artists for this work. At the same time, with the example of the great Mexican muralists, the artists undertook mural painting to bring cultural images and history to a larger audience. The organization grew to the point where a need for a space for artists was planned. The RCAF established the Centro de Artistas Chicanos moving from temporary quarters in homes, garages and La Raza Bookstore to Holy Angels School at 7th and T Streets. Later, a space was established on Folsom Blvd. and finally a center on Franklin Blvd. These spaces allowed for continual meetings, planning of events, workshops, studio activity and freedom to work around the clock. First, Max Garcia took on the directorship, followed by Gina Montoya and Ricardo Favela. Thousands