The Carter is the first museum to own the full series of seven photographs, which will go on view this summer in the exhibition Seven Days: The Still Lifes of Chuck Ramirez

Fort Worth, TX, March 5, 2025 — The Amon Carter Museum of American Art (the Carter) is pleased to announce the acquisition of Seven Days, a 2003 series of artworks by Texas artist Chuck Ramirez (1962–2010). This vibrant and evocative series highlights seven community-centered celebrations in Texas, from a child’s birthday party to a vibrant Día de los Muertos feast. The Carter is the only museum to own the full set of seven Chuck Ramirez photographs in their collection. In celebration of this acquisition, the Carter will present an exhibition centered around this new series of photographs titled Seven Days: The Still Lifes of Chuck Ramirez. This exhibition will be on view July 26, 2025, through January 4, 2026.

Born to a Mexican American father and White American mother, San Antonio-based artist Chuck Ramirez crafted visually striking and conceptually rich photographs that examine themes of heritage, memory, community, and material culture. His work frequently transforms everyday objects into poignant reflections on identity and loss, influenced by his background in graphic design and his personal experiences as a person living with HIV. Ramirez’s series captures the remnants of community gatherings—tables laden with food, decorations, and leftover party detritus—as poetic reflections on memory, culture, and the fleeting nature of pleasure and life itself.

“We are delighted to welcome Chuck Ramirez’s powerful and thought-provoking photographs into the Carter’s collection,” said Andrew J. Walker, Executive Director of the Carter. “Ramirez’s photographs are both visually striking and deeply poignant, highlighting the significance of community gatherings and shared traditions. This acquisition strengthens our commitment to showcasing the diverse narratives of American art, and we are thrilled to offer visitors a chance to engage with Ramirez’s remarkable vision this summer.”

Seven Days: The Still Lifes of Chuck Ramirez offers an unprecedented look at these seven large-format photographs acquired by the Carter and provides audiences with an opportunity to explore Ramirez’s unique vision and artistic legacy. Each photograph portrays a still-life scene of food and leftovers after a celebration, composed with a visual language reminiscent of 17th-century Dutch and Spanish still-life paintings. Inspired by his career as a graphic designer for H-E-B, a large, Texas-based grocery store chain, Ramirez’s works reflect his deep understanding of advertising, consumerism, and cultural identity. The photographs include familiar Texas and Mexican food products and brands, such as a cup from San Antionio restaurant Bill Miller Bar-B-Q, a Topo Chico glass bottle, and Lone Star Beer can. These objects create a tangible connection to Texan and Tejano culture while also evoking universal themes of celebration and loss.

“Seven Days demonstrates the contemporary relevance and conceptual power of the still life, a genre well represented in the Carter’s painting and photography collections,” said María Beatriz H. Carrión, Assistant Curator of Photographs at the Carter. “Moreover, the works will introduce visitors to an important yet still underrepresented artist whose work celebrates the depth of Texas popular culture while inviting viewers to reflect on their existence.”

In addition to the seven photographs, this exhibition will also feature a three-dimensional ofrenda, or altar, inspired by Ramirez’s favorite holiday, Día de los Muertos. This ofrenda will be a recreation of one Ramirez made in 2004 and will remain on view for the duration of the exhibition. Created around a vintage stove as a dedication to Ramirez’s grandmother, this ofrenda will serve as a space for reflection and community engagement. Museum visitors will have the opportunity to create a paper marigold in remembrance of a loved one and add their flower to the ofrenda.

Seven Days: The Still Lifes of Chuck Ramirez is organized by the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.

Image: Chuck Ramirez (1962–2010), Seven Days: Dia de los Muertos, 2003, inkjet print, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, P2025.4, © Estate of Chuck Ramirez, Photo courtesy of Ruiz-Healy Art, New York & San Antonio; Chuck Ramirez (1962–2010), Seven Days: Breakfast Tacos, 2003, inkjet print, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, P2025.3, © Estate of Chuck Ramirez, Photo courtesy of Ruiz-Healy Art, New York & San Antonio;  Chuck Ramirez (1962–2010), Seven Days: Rancher Plate, 2004, inkjet print, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, P2025.7, © Estate of Chuck Ramirez, Photo courtesy of Ruiz-Healy Art, New York & San Antonio  

About Chuck Ramirez

Chuck Ramirez (1962–2010) was a San Antonio-based artist known for his conceptual photographs and installations that explore themes of cultural identity, mortality, and consumerism. Born to a Mexican American father and White mother, Ramirez’s bicultural upbringing deeply influenced his artistic perspective. His works often subvert stereotypes and were drawn from his experiences as a gay man and an individual who was HIV positive, addressing themes of ephemerality and human connection. Ramirez’s work has been exhibited widely and is included in prestigious collections such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the San Antonio Museum of Art. Though his life was tragically cut short in 2010, Ramirez remains an icon of contemporary art in Texas and beyond.

About the Amon Carter Museum of American Art

Located in the heart of Fort Worth’s Cultural District, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art (the Carter) is a dynamic cultural resource that provides unique access and insight into the history and future of American creativity through its expansive exhibitions and programming. The Carter’s preeminent collection includes masterworks by legendary American artists such as Ruth Asawa, Alexander Calder, Frederic Church, Stuart Davis, Robert Duncanson, Thomas Eakins, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jacob Lawrence, and John Singer Sargent, as well as one of the country’s foremost repositories of American photography. In addition to its innovative exhibition program and engagement with artists working today, the Museum’s premier primary research collection and leading conservation program make it a must-see destination for art lovers and scholars of all ages nationwide. Admission is always free. To learn more about the Carter, visit cartermuseum.org.