Gente Chicana/SOYmos Chicanos Fund Supports Cultural Coalition Projects
Cultural Coalition is thrilled to announce we are the recipients of a $3000 grant from the Gente Chicana/SOYmos Chicanos Fund at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation established by Enrique E. Figueroa, Ph.D. The grant, awarded by Dr. Figueroa, Emeritus, Associate Professor, Dept. of Urban Planning, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, supports the recasting of a César Chávez bronze statue and the purchase of a database management system to manage and catalog artwork for the creation of a Mask Museum.
The Gente Chicana/SOYmos Chicanos Fund was established by Dr. Enrique Figueroa for the purpose of bringing forth recognition, practice, understanding or appreciation of Chicano art. When talking about what inspired him to start this fund, he shared, “In the mid 1970’s, we started a Teatro in Sacra, Califas that we named, Teatro Suspiro del Barrio. As such, we became affiliated with the Royal Chicano Air Force, RCAF – I got my RCAF ‘wings’ in 1976. Since then, I have read a good amount of Chicano literature and history, and started appreciating Chicano arts. Many years ago, I decided that when I could, I would do what I could to support Chicano/a arts, broadly defined.”
The first project Cultural Coalition will use these grant funds for is to recast a life-size sculpture of César Chavez, at César Chávez Park on 35th Avenue and Baseline Road in Phoenix. The duplicate light weight cast will be exhibited by Cultural Coalition, and utilized as a pop-up monumental art piece for local community gatherings, marches, and exhibitions in schools and universities. The process will be documented and recorded for educational purposes, and to accompany the newly cast sculpture in its traveling exhibitions.
The purchase of a collection management database to catalog and archive Cultural Coalition’s collection of original works of art by Zarco Guerrero and other local Chicano/Chicana artists was also funded by the grant. The Cultural Coalition Board of Directors will use this comprehensive database of their Chicano/a and Indigenous art to lay the groundwork for the beginning of a Mask Museum.
Cultural Coalition staff have begun cataloging works of art into the database for the museums’ collection, which will eventually be viewable to the public. The database will have an archive of past exhibitions, as well as new virtual exhibitions, and a guided tour of public art by Cultural Coalition artists installed all over the Southwest. The database will also include audio interviews and videos of artists, storytellers, and performances to highlight the stories and cultural significance of the pieces.
This grant is a wonderful recognition of the work Cultural Coalition continues to do in support of cultural preservation and to provide community engagement through unique cultural programs dedicated to the education, promotion and development of indigenous artists in Arizona.