Pilsen itself is frequently sought out by Chicagoans and visitors alike for its arts, culture and lip-smacking food. Without a doubt, the National Museum of Mexican Art found in this city takes the cherry on the cake for being a manifestation of the very hallmarks of the area. Boasting over 1,500 individual pieces on permanent display and several more temporary exhibits, it is the largest Mexican Arts Institution in the US. A people now hunted within their own homeland and scattered across the border, the museum is an effort to chronicle their deep rooted history and to lend volume to their current plight. Thoughtfully arranged ticket stubs and calendars, deceivingly innocent patterns splashed onto mosaic tiles, startling portraits and digitally rendered photographs; the variety of media and subjects covered by the artists can hardly be summarized in a manner that does the collections justice. Unlike most galleries, the Museum of Mexican art curates the work of artists both amateur and established regardless of their origin or locality. This has given rise to one of the most diverse aggregations celebrating the richness and wonder of the Mexican civilization to date. By taking a trip past the bubblegum pink interior of the museum, gain the chance to view these people beyond mere newspaper headlines and flash articles to get a glimpse of a pulsing community.