[3] Carlos Tortolero and a group of Mexican-American teachers first formed the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum in 1982.

The design on the façade of the building was inspired by the friezes of Mitla in Oaxaca, Mexico.

In Spring 2011, the museum announced that the radio station and the building it has been in since the late 1990s had been put up for sale due to financial issues.

On June 22, 2012, it was announced that Chicago Public Media had purchased the license of WRTE FM.

Every October, the museum has a Día de los Muertos ("Day of the Dead") exhibit which features altars and Día de los Muertos-related art by Chicago-area and international artists.