Lowrider Culture

EXHIBITION

Lowrider Culture in the United States

August 22, 2026 – November 15, 2026

Exhibitions are included with General Admission.

About

Lowriding is a quintessential Latino/a tradition started by Mexican American communities in the 1940s to assert their space and empower their lives. This unique car-making tradition is infused with Latino/a soul, entrepreneurship, and ingenuity. A mix of innovation and tradition, lowriding is an affirmation of identity and values that have reached beyond the United States to influence popular culture worldwide.

Lowrider Culture in the United States / Cultura Lowrider en los Estados Unidos is a new exhibition from the Smithsonian that highlights a diverse selection of vibrant photographs and prints depicting lowrider culture and iconography while documenting its styles in the United States.

This traveling exhibition is based on research from the Smithsonian and includes objects from lowriding art and trade. Audiences encounter a multifaceted picture of the American experience by learning about the Latino/a community identity through the lens of lowriding and its rich stories of creativity, family, and tradition. Lowrider Culture in the United States examines the history of the post-World War II Mexican American community and the cultural expressions of lowriding through technology, innovation, and style.

Lowrider Culture in the United States / Cultura Lowrider en los Estados Unidos is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of the American Latino. The exhibition received federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the National Museum of the American Latino.

 

Sponsored locally by

Clark Chevrolet / Clark Knapp Honda

Special Thanks

Noe Barrera (Founder of RGV Lowriders)
Clemente & Jennifer Valdez (Texas Southern Empire)
Elizandro Flores Jr. (Veteranos) & (Nuestra Vida)
Javier Estrada (Latin Dreams)
Mario Flores (Ultimate Look)
Rogelio Loera Jr. (Latin Fantasy)
Elisa Loera (Latin Fantasy)
Antonio Rocha (Nuestra Cultura)
Guadalupe Villarreal (Nuestra Cultura)
Juan Cansin (Valley Life)
Jessica Marie Rodriguez (Aztec Empire)
Keith & Lina Luna (Aztec Empire)
Bobby Soto (La Iguana)

 

Día de los Muertos Caravan, 2020. Courtesy of Bob Bernal Jr./Los Angeles, California.

Opening Reception

Friday, August 21, 2026
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Join us for the Opening Reception of Lowrider Culture in the United States / Cultura Lowrider en los Estados Unidos!

This event is free for IMAS Members with pre-registration encouraged. Members may bring one guest per Membership. Additional guests and general public may attend for a $10 admission fee. Please present your Membership card and ID for entry. Membership may be purchased online or at the door.

Free admission to this after-hours event is a perk of membership and allows IMAS to thank its members for their support and patronage.

IMAS Day of Play
Lowrider Community Day & Market

Saturday, September 26, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

It’s time to play!

Our World: Worldwide Day of Play, administered by The Association of Children’s Museums, invites children and families to get active in this global event through hands-on activities, games, and exhibit exploration. Come join the fun at IMAS!

Sobre

El lowriding es una tradición latina por excelencia, iniciada por las comunidades mexicanoamericanas en la década de 1940 para reivindicar su espacio y empoderar sus vidas. Esta singular tradición automovilística está impregnada del alma latina, el espíritu emprendedor y el ingenio. Una mezcla de innovación y tradición, el lowriding es una afirmación de identidad y valores que ha trascendido Estados Unidos e influido a la cultura popular en todo el mundo.

Lowrider Culture in the United States / Cultura Lowrider en los Estados Unidos es una nueva exposición del Smithsonian que destaca una selección diversa de fotografías y grabados vibrantes que representan la cultura y la iconografía lowrider, mientras documentan sus estilos en los Estados Unidos.

Esta exposición itinerante se basa en investigaciones del Smithsonian e incluye objetos del arte y el comercio del lowriding. El público descubre una visión multifacética de la experiencia estadounidense al aprender sobre la identidad de la comunidad latina a través del lowriding y sus ricas historias de creatividad, familia y tradición. Cultura Lowrider en los Estados Unidos examina la historia de la comunidad mexicoamericana posterior a la Segunda Guerra Mundial y las expresiones culturales del lowriding a través de la tecnología, la innovación y el estilo.

Lowrider Culture in the United States / Cultura Lowrider en los Estados Unidos es una exposición organizada por el Servicio de Exposiciones Itinerantes del Smithsonian, en colaboración con el Museo Nacional de Historia Americana y el Museo Nacional del Latino Estadounidense. La exposición recibió apoyo federal del Fondo de Iniciativas Latinas, administrado por el Museo Nacional del Latino Estadounidense.