Our History

The Cultural Coalition, Inc. began as a grass roots organization of artists and community activists in the summer of 1996. Our goal is to develop innovative ways to address important social issues while encouraging the participation of organizations, schools and individuals in the creation of neighborhood arts program. 

We became a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in April of 2000.

image5
image2
carmen with kids ukulele
Zarco in front of a group of folklorico dancers wearing his masks

Cultural Coalition, Inc. has been successful in creating and producing six annual anti-violence marches and cultural festivals.  Among them, La Procesión, based on the theme of the Day of the Dead celebrations in downtown Phoenix, has been performed yearly since 1997. We have also been the proud producers and presenters of La Pastorela  (1999- 2001 & 2004-08), as well as Que Pasion! (2003), and DeGrazia: the Impossible Eccentric (2005). These projects are the result of our ongoing engagement of community and sponsoring partners.

In the Fall of 2008 and 2009 we presented La Calaca Cabaret a showcase of local artists and their interpretations of Dia de Los Muertos in a multi-disciplinary stage production including music, dance, storytelling and theater. La Calaca Cabaret was enjoyed by audiences at the Herberger Theater, the Desert Botanical Garden and the Mesa Arts Center.

In 2010 Cultural Coalition presented a Performing Theater Series during Third Fridays at the then recently inaugurated  Arizona Latino Arts & Culture Consortium (ALAC) in downtown Phoenix.

In 2011 we presented  El Dia de La Raza (October 17th, 2011) in Maryvale, West Phoenix, the most densely populated Latino area in the city.   During the 2011 CALA Festival, we developed new performances such "La Llorona",  "El Paseo", "Tonantzin & Guadalupe"  and "The Flight of Quetzalcoatl" in partnerships with Yollo Incuauhtli Aztec Dancers, Primavera Ballet Folklórico Company, Opendance and Ollin Yoliztli Ballet Folklórico.  These original performances have been presented at venues across the valley, among them the Desert Botanical Garden, The Heard Museum, and Xico in Chandler.

Beginning in the early 2000’s, Cultural Coalition began expanding its mission of supporting Latino and Indigenous artists to also provide arts education to underprivileged families and communities. We began hosting festivals in Patriot Park in downtown Phoenix with music and dance performances. We provided hands-on arts engagement activities for children and partnered with AZ Health to talk to kids about how to stay healthy. This annual procession in downtown Phoenix to the festival continued until 2006.

In 2012, Cultural Coalition hosted its inaugural MIKITZLI: Dia de los Muertos Phx Festival (DDLM). Originally funded by a grant, the festival was a partnership with CALA Alliance, (Celebración Artística de las Américas). MIKITZLI has evolved and grown to become our signature event, focused on decolonizing the celebration with a return to its indigenous roots, and just celebrated its 10 year anniversary at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix.

Since its inception (over the last 25 years) the Cultural Coalition has established annual cultural festivals in partnership with different municipalities all over the Valley. Mask Alive! Festival of Masks has been growing as an arts placemaking community favorite at Pioneer Park in Mesa for the last four years. Showcasing the art of masked storytelling and performance, Mask Alive is a multicultural festival of art from around the world that celebrates the diversity of our city.

At the Tempe Center for the Arts, Cultural Coalition has been producing El Puente Festival since 2013. Focused on families and young artists, this festival has music and dance performances by youth from around the Valley, continuing the legacy of Latino traditional cultural arts.

And our newest festival which launched in 2019, Portal to the Past, in partnership with Pueblo Grande Museum, celebrates the water legacy of the Ancestral Sonoran Desert People. We continue to create new opportunities for community celebrations at different locations of the Valley.

In addition to festivals, in 2015 Cultural Coalition opened a dedicated art space for children at the low income housing complex Rancho del Art in Mesa, Arizona. Here, teaching artists work with school aged youth to provide arts engagement activities that range from music, drawing, painting, and mask making. Children also receive help with their homework, cooking and gardening lessons, and a free meal donated by St. Mary’s Food Bank to help encourage healthy eating and educational success.

Looking towards the future, Cultural Coalition launched online museum in 2023 with a beginning archive of artwork from Zarco Guerrero and other Cultural Coalition artists. With so many pieces connected to cultural festivals and theatrical performances throughout the Valley, this museum will tell the history of art as storytelling and culture keeping for audiences extending outside Arizona. The Mask Alive Museum & Cultural Center will have a comprehensive collection of cultural masks and art that will engage visitors with the traditional practice of art as storytelling around the globe.