Latino Cultural Center FY 2008-09 Annual Report

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To serve as a regional catalyst for the preservation, development and pro-motion of Latino and Hispanic arts and culture.

MISSIOn

General ManaGer’S MeSSaGeFiscal Year 2008-2009 was an exciting year for the Latino Cultural Center, as the LCC celebrated its 6th year of service to the Dallas and North Texas com-munity. In this short time, the center has matured as an organization and grown artistically, successfully presenting a broad array of programs that promote and develop appreciation for Latino arts and culture.

Since its inception, the LCC has been guided by the vision of providing artists, cultural organizations and the Latino community with a venue to celebrate cultural traditions and present both contemporary and historical artworks in all artistic disciplines. In Fiscal Year 2008-2009, 24,573 people attended the center’s multi-faceted programs, which included our own LCC Signature Series, performances by the LCC Core Groups, and events pre-sented by community partners and other arts and nonprofit organizations.

Special thanks are due to the City of Dallas Mayor and Council, and to our City Manager Mary K. Suhm, for their continued support of the center. The Friends of the LCC, our supporting 501(c)(3) organization, made it possible for the center to receive contributions from individuals and corporations. We are deeply appreciative of the generosity of our donors and corporate partners, whose contributions directly support the center’s artistic and youth programs.

In this annual report, we hope to provide our friends and supporters with a summary of the many arts and cultural events that were held at the center. As you will see, our stages, galleries and plaza were busy year-round, shar-ing with our community the creativity, beauty, complexity and vibrancy of Latino arts and culture. Mil gracias to all our friends and supporters for your participation and commitment to the center… ¡y espero verlos prontos en el centro!

María Muñoz-BlancoInterim General Manager andDirector of Cultural Affairs, City of Dallas

STaFF TranSITIOn >>> In June 2009, general manager Alejandrina Drew retired from the position she had held since 2005, leav-ing a legacy of exciting programs and partner-ships that will continue to flourish in the future. Her accomplishments at the center are many, but perhaps none will be as lasting or as popular as the Día de los Muertos and Posada Dallas festivals, which she conceived early on and nurtured into the successful, signature events that they have become. During her tenure, attendance at the LCC reached over 20,000 people and the center was selected for the 2007 National Endowment for the Arts Big Read. We thank Alejandrina for her dedication and wish her well as she enjoys retirement!

FrIenDS OF THe lCCThe Friends of the LCC, led by Chair Dolores Barzune, continued provid-ing community leadership, guidance and support for the programs of the center. The highlight of the Friends efforts this fiscal year was the Fiesta de las Artes, a fundraising gala chaired by Margo Ramirez Keyes, held on May 23, 2009. As the name suggests, the theme of the evening was Fiesta, an evening of celebration for community leaders and LCC supporters. The evening included a reception and special viewing of the exhibition Alfredo Zalce: Works on Paper, culminating with a special performance from the legendary Trio Los Panchos. Regarded as one the best guitar trios of all time, Los Panchos rose to international fame in the 1950s with their cel-ebrated interpretations of romantic Latin American songs like “Bésame Mucho” and “Contigo Aprendí.”

latino cultural center Fiscal Year 2008-2009 annual report 1 DallaSCulTure.OrG/laTInOCC

2008/2009 evenTSClasses / Workshops 213Exhibitions 12Festival / Multidisciplinary 51Performances 96Tours 217Other 92

Total 681

Attendance 24,573Free Admissions 21,646

Visual Arts Unified Field: The Border• by Beatriz Ezbán (9/12-11/29/08)Hanging with Boys and Little Cloths• , a Photography Exhibit by Pauline Stevens (9/12- 10/25/08)Papel Chicano: Works on Paper• from the Collection of Cheech Marin (11/11/08-2/21/09)Molas of the Kuna People of Panama:• Selections from the Collection of Rev. Isaac V. and Mrs. Alicia C. Pérez (11/1/08-2/15/09)Dichos: Words to Live, Love, and Laugh by in Latin •America (3/26-4/25/09)Richland College Faculty @ LCC• (3/6-4/25/09)Alfredo Zalce: Works on Paper• (5/1-6/27/09)Andrew Ortiz: Sin Palabras• (5/1-6/20/09)Art & Ability: Exhibition of work by artists of the ARC of •Dallas(7/1-8/22/09)6th Annual Hecho en Dallas• (7/2-8/22/09)Maestros Tejanos: Tina Fuentes• (9/3-11/21/09)Flor Garduño: Mujeres Fantásticas• (9/3-11/21/09)

Performing Arts Women of Their World• reading with authors Stephanie Elizondo Griest and Barbara Renaud González, presented in collaboration with Writer’s Garrett (4/20/09)Sor Juana Festival• (5/16/09)Trío Los Panchos• (5/23/09)

Repertorio Español: • Vagón (Boxcar)(9/19/09)

Festivals & Family ProgramsDía de los Muertos (11/1/08)•Posada Dallas (12/14/08)•Target Second Saturday• (monthly through the year)Fiestas Patrias (9/12/09)•Festival con Sabor a México (10/12/08)•

2DallaSCulTure.OrG/laTInOCC latino cultural center Fiscal Year 2008-2009 annual report

lCC SIGnaTure SerIeSThe LCC Signature Series offered a lively selection of per-forming and visual arts programs representative of the wide range of creative and artistic ideas of Latino artists. The series features national and international artists of all disciplines, bringing an expansive dimension and un-derstanding of the breadth and depth of Latino cultural expression to our community. During the fiscal year, the LCC Signature Series included 12 visual arts exhibitions, 4 performing arts events, 5 cultural festivals, 16 screen-ings of contemporary and historic Mexican and Latin American films, and a monthly family day sponsored by Target.

Repertorio Español, the U.S. premier Spanish-language theater troupe, made its third visit to the LCC with the production Vagón (Boxcar), the poignant story of five undocumented men who cross the border and whose lives intersect with that of an immigration officer who

struggles between his duties as an officer and his conscience as a son of immigrants. Another highlight was the exhibition Papel Chicano: Works on Paper from the Collection of Cheech Marin, a selection of works from the celebrated comedian’s art collection. Marin’s fans had the opportunity to meet-and-greet him dur-ing a book signing for the exhibition catalogue.

The center partnered with the National Mexican Art Museum to join in the national initiative Sor Juana Festival, a multidisciplinary effort to celebrate the life of the 17th century poet. At the LCC, our day-long Sor Juana Festival included a screening of the film Yo, la peor de todas (directed by Maria Luisa Bemberg, 1990); a performance of 17th Century Mexican songs by mezzo-soprano Silvia Paola Núñez; readings and short performances by local artists.

Vagón (Boxcar)

Cara Con Rallas by tina Fuentes

target second saturday

lCC COre GrOuPS

The LCC is home to 11 Dallas-based Latino arts organizations, who present music, dance and theater performances at the LCC’s Oak Farms Dairy Performance Hall. Dur-ing the fiscal year, six core groups produced events at the center, including a two-day folklorico fes-tival, flamenco and folklorico con-certs, and a Spanish-language play for children.

Alegre Ballet Folklórico

Quinceañera • (10/21-25/08)

Anita N. Martínez Ballet Folklórico

Ritmo y Tradición• (10/1-4/08)

Recital• (4/4/09)

Tierra Mestiza• (5/9/09)

Daniel de Córdoba Bailes Españoles

Raíces de Flamenco• (11/15/08)

Festival de Verano• (6/6/09)

Ollimpaxqui Ballet Company

Festejo Guadalupano • (12/12/09)

Folklórico Festival• (5/2-3/09)

Martice Enterprises

Rick Najera Comedy Daddy Diaries• (8/28-29/09)

Teatro Dallas

La máscara que hablaba • (4/09 and 5/09)

The LCC Core Groups, who did not produce at the LCC during the fiscal year, are Cara Mia Theater Company,Conte de Loyo Flamenco Dance Theatre, Mexico Institute, Tango Argentino Dallas, and Vistas Films Festival.

CulTural anD COMMunITy GrOuPSEssential to our goal of fostering appreciation and engagement in the arts are the ongoing partnerships that the LCC has with arts and commu-nity groups and other nonprofit organizations. The LCC provides space and technical support for a variety of cultural programs that range from youth recitals to cultural festivals. Highlights of the programs presented by our community partners during the fiscal year include the traditional Día de Reyes (Three Wise Men Day) by the Asociación Boricua de Dallas, classical guitar concerts by Allegro Guitar Society, and a day-long tango marathon by Evolution Tango.

2008/09 Cultural & Community Groups Events Federación de Clubes Michoacanos en Texas, • Festival Michoacano (10/10/08)Allegro Guitar Society, • Montreal Guitar Trio (11/7/08)Asociación Boricua de Dallas, • Día de Reyes (1/10/09)AFI Dallas International Film Festival, Sneak Preview of • A Class Apart (2/10/09)Sociedad Cultural Dominicana, • Independence Day Celebration (2/28/09)Southern Methodist University LULAC Student Chapter, • César Chávez Arts Tribute (3/29/09)Dallas Chamber Music, • The Orion String Quartet (4/6/09)Dallas Black Dance Theater, • DBDT II Spring Fiesta (4/ 23-25/09)Allegro Guitar Society, • Carlos Barbosa-Lima Concert (5/7/09)Peak Advantage Spring Musical, • Beauty & the Beast (5/29-30/09)Junior Players Discover Art Camp (6/9-26/09)•Evolution Tango, • TangoThon (6/13/09)Elledanceworks, • Elle 12: Move (6/18-20/09)Asociación Boricua de Dallas, • Celebración de Becas y Cultura (7/25/09)Texas Chinese Performing Arts, • Betty Zhang and Chinese Traditional String Ensemble (7/31/09)

Centro Argentino DFW, • Lejos de Aquí (8/14-15/09)asociación Boricua de Dallas, Día de Reyes

lCC STaFF 2008-09Alejandrina Drew, General Manager (through June 2009)Bianca Ferrer, Coordinator, Programs (through July 2009)Heath Gage, Technical DirectorKarl Hartford, LaborerMaría Muñoz-Blanco, Interim General Manager (beginning July 2009)Yesenia Olide, Coordinator, ProgramsNelly Ortez, Office AssistantIrasema Romero, Coordinator, Media & Marketing

FrIenDS OF THe lCC BOarD OF DIreCTOrSDolores Barzune, Chair John Cuellar, Vice ChairCynthia A. Gonzalez, Treasurer Joe AlcántarLaura V. EstradaThe Honorable Janet Kafka Tom LazoMargo Ramirez KeyesCarolina Rodríguez

2008-2009 DOnOrS Friends of the LCC Target Macy’s Foundation American AirlinesExxon MobilDiesteAT&T Texas Commission on the ArtsMid America Arts AllianceThe Consulate General of Mexico in DallasFederación de Clubes Michoacanos del Norte de TexasBodegas Montecillo Rioja WinesCafé San MiguelEl RanchitoLa Calle DoceZaguán Bakery

MeDIa SPOnSOrS Al DíaDallas Morning NewsUnivision

FrOnT COver:“Granite Weaving” by Jesús Morales; Courtesy of the Frank K. Ribelin Collection

2600 live oakDallas, tX 75201214-670-3687dallasculture.org/latinocc Publication # 09/10-64