rhizomes map

Rhizomes Institutional Map

Libraries, archives, museums, galleries, and other partner institutions across the U.S. are working together to make Rhizomes a reality. Our map displays institutions with relevant content.

You can contribute information about institutions and collections that are already represented, or add information about new institutions or collections with which you are connected. Please use this form, which also is linked below in Contribute to the Map.  

Learn more: Mapping Institutions and Collections

Learn more about the making of the map: Mapping Institutions and Collections 

A decolonial model of data management

The Rhizomes Institutional Map is a starting point for building a decolonial model of data management between institutions. It is our hope that with this map and your participation that we can create the space for collectors, archivists, librarians, and content specialists to redesign and remake pathways to carry the digital stewardship of Mexican American art into the future. 

As a long-term, decolonial initiative to enhance the online discoverability of Mexican American art, Rhizomes is a growing assembly of various nodes of engagement.

We think of nodes as the small yet vital pulses that carry nourishment and information to the larger organism. That’s right, Rhizomes is a living digital system. And the many email threads, survey responses, Twitter feeds, and old-fashioned phone calls between our collaborators allow this work to take shape and thrive. These nodes of engagement are not just relationships—they are the animating force that empowers Rhizomes to disrupt the longstanding invisibility of Mexican American art. Pulse by pulse, we are expanding the capacity of users to resonate with the artistic excellence and courageous creativity of generations of Mexican American artists. The Rhizomes Institutional Map is a way for us to acknowledge and honor all those who have labored so painstakingly to protect and care for what amounts to nothing short of a vital historical and ongoing legacy of the United States. 

Interacting with the Map

By selecting an individual icon on the map, you can zoom in to get a closer look. Once you click on the icon you will be prompted with a pop-up window with more information about the institution. We are looking to gather as much data as possible about institutions that house Mexican-American Art collections. 

By clicking on the drop down button located on the right hand side of the info summary window, you can expand the list to see all of the institutions that fall within that category. Once the list is expanded, you can select an institution to find basic information and you will see that it has been selected on the map. You can then zoom in to get a closer look at the community level or zoom out to see how it fits into the broader landscape.

Navigating the map

Use the + (plus), - (minus), to adjust the map zoom level.

Home resets your map to the initial zoom level and center location in case you get lost while navigating

Find my location uses your wifi address to show your generalized location on the map. Use this to find institutions nearby.

Info Summary opens a dropdown list for a quick overview of all the institutions on the map, which are placed into one of four categories: Archive, Museum, Library, or Other. 


In the filter layers window, notice that each category is displayed separately, allowing you to turn a specific category on/off on the map. For instance, if you click on or activate the button named “Turn On/Off Archive Layer,” you will notice that the map icons change to only show the institutions that are in the Archive category. 


Share generates a link that can be shared via social media platforms and opened in any web browser or mobile device. 

Select the “link options” text to customize your link. A custom link can point your recipient to a specific location rather than the entire map. 

Contribute to the map

After accessing the pop-up window for a specific icon you can select “Click here to add information about your institution” text to add information. The link will direct you to a short form where you can provide any information that you have to share. 

If your institution or collection is not on our map, you can use the form to contact us.