Celebrating the Arts in New Ways with Our Community
The year 2020 has been an opportunity for Cultural Coalition to turn obstacles into opportunities and serve our community in new and innovative ways. Although we’ve missed seeing everyone at our festivals this year, we adapted and evolved to find a new path to keep bringing free arts and culture programs and events to our community. And we thank all of our supporters for coming with us on this journey.
When the first of our annual festivals were postponed in March and April of this year, we knew that we did not want to cancel them. We knew that we had to find a way to continue to bring these arts and cultural experiences to our community and support our local artists. As the timeline grew for people to stay safe at home, we immediately explored new ways to offer our events.
Cultural Coalition has always believed that culture cures, la cultura cura. And what the world needed more than ever, was a reason to be joyful, to celebrate, and find comfort in the healing artistry of dance, song, music, storytelling, and cultural performances.
“Culture is a gift! Not to be hoarded but to be shared. It expresses our shared humanity!” shares Zarco Guerrero, Cultural Coalition Artistic Director.
In April, with just a few weeks notice, we adapted El Puente Festival to a free fully online event. The first virtual festival Cultural Coalition had ever attempted! We had a few bumps along the way, but we were able to stream performances of mariachis, ballet folklorico, Aztec dancers and more. Even though it was our first time, it was a wonderful success, with over 9000 views from around the world, and counting!
From there, we continued to celebrate the arts and connect with our community in a variety of virtual programs, broadcasted live on our social media channels throughout the year. One of the advantages we’ve discovered with having our festivals online, is that people can rewatch their favorite performances, and our local artists can win new fans who discover our virtual festivals every day! Together, with our dedicated supporters and new fans we have:
- Celebrated the longest day of the year with our first Summer Solstice Festival – 9,200 views
- Went behind the scenes with a dozen Artist Chats, in videos offering peeks into popular local artist studios and their practice – 800 views
- Explored the art of masks and storytelling with our 3rd Annual Mask Alive Festival – 2,600 views
- Honored the art and legacy of the Ancestral Sonoran Desert People with the 2nd Annual Portal Festival with our partner Pueblo Grande Museum – 800 views
- Remembered our ancestors, and dedicated the 9th Annual Mikitzli Dia de los Muertos Festival to those who have passed this year from Covid-19 – 2,700 views
Zarco reflected on the reasons to continue producing art events this year, “While so many people are doing without and are feeling left out, ART can bring laughter, insight, and inspiration to our lives!”
When our afterschool programs were temporarily suspended, Cultural Coalition transformed the spaces at Rancho del Arte into a food kitchen and community pantry. In partnership with St. Mary’s Food Bank, we were able to serve meals to over 110 families in need. We also offered free grocery, and household items to the residents. When schools reopened, we resumed our afterschool programs with art activities, homework help, and meals for students. With new health and safety protocols, we have continued to provide a safe place for these children to come and enjoy time creating art and being a kid!
“Art provides a healing opportunity for all of us, especially children. When we are involved in hands-on art activities, we forget the hardships of our lives and find joy in the creative process!” Carmen Guerrero, Executive Director.
Cultural Coalition is proud of the work we were able to accomplish this year in partnership with our artists, partners, donors, and sponsors. Coming together with these partners to share the talent of so many local artists, to an expanded global audience, has been an honor. Carmen shared that, “We continue fulfilling our mission with the help of all our community partners”.
We appreciate everyone who “attended” our virtual events, shared them with friends and family, participated in our raffles, purchased merchandise, and supported local artists throughout this year. We are truly grateful for your support and generosity. We look forward to celebrating with you again in 2021. Together, with the power of the arts, music, dance, storytelling and culture, we will heal and be stronger than ever!