René Yañez was a Mexican-born painter, assemblage artist, performer, curator, and community activist. Having moved to the Bay Area in 1966, he help to found the Mission Cultural Arts Center and Galeria de la Raza, where he served as the director for 15 years. He was also one of the first people to introduce the Day of the Dead celebrations in the United States. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 75.