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La Luz Centro Cultural
For the second phase of We the Many, Arts Midwest partnered with La Luz Centro Cultural.
Located in Hampton, Iowa, La Luz Centro Cultural serves the Latino community in North Central Iowa with the mission to promote cultural awareness and diversity with hospitality and supportive services for all.
En la segunda fase de We the Many, Arts Midwest se asoció con La Luz Centro Cultural.
Ubicado en Hampton, Iowa, La Luz Centro Cultural sirve la comunidad latina del norte centro de Iowa con la misión de promover conciencia cultural y diversidad con hospitalidad y servicios de apoyo para todos.
Community Members Reached
Miembros de la Comunidad Alcanzados
Throughout the program, La Luz Centro Cultural engaged approximately 771 community members and 103 artists, through approximately 38 community activities. We the Many programming ranged from enriched annual cultural celebrations like Dia de Los Muertos and Gran Festival in 2022 and 2023, a community concert in collaboration with the Franklin Arts Council and the local high schools with visiting artists Mario Arevalo and Calle Sur, and folkloric dance instruction with Ballet Folklorico México Azteca. In summer of 2023, a youth music camp was led by Iowa-based Brazilian music instructor Will Lopes at the Hampton elementary school. In addition, Iowa-based artist Marrisa Hernandez led a community mural in collaboration with local youth. A student cultural exchange event was held in the fall of 2023, as well as the ongoing arts and culture-based afterschool program at La Luz Centro Cultural.
With the completion of the two murals, we have had many community members recognize the beauty of the Latino Cultural. A picture of one of the murals is used by one of our local community Facebook pages as the profile picture, which has brought an awareness of how much we appreciate diversity in Hampton. Although not everything was successful, we were able to start new traditions, such as the community culture night. We also have possibilities to cultivate future partnerships with the Franklin County Arts Council and Will Lopes from Iowa Central Community College. La Luz Centro Cultural has also been able to see how much our afterschool children love art. With new arts supplies, local children/youth have grown more excited about art and there has been an increase in attendance.
The We the Many program allowed La Luz Centro Cultural to develop a deeper connection with different community organizations and members through new collaborations. It has allowed us to bring more opportunities to promote and celebrate the presence and importance of Latino culture in our community. La Luz Centro Cultural has a focus on the Latino community within our area and as such everything leads back to culture. With the We the Many grant, we were able to continue our efforts to help everyone we could by providing integral culturally relevant services, whether it was to find food, fill out a new document, process immigration applications, or help a child have a haven after school.
Durante el programa, La Luz Centro Cultural involucró a aproximadamente 771 miembros de la comunidad y a 103 artistas, a través de aproximadamente 38 actividades comunitarias. La programación de We the Many abarcó desde enriquecidas celebraciones anuales culturales tales como el Día de Los Muertos y el Gran Festival en 2022 y 2023, a un concierto comunitario en colaboración con el Consejo de las Artes del Condado de Franklin y las escuelas secundarias locales con los artistas visitantes Mario Arévalo y Calle Sur, e instrucción de baile folclórico con el Ballet Folklorico México Azteca. En el verano del 2023, el instructor musical brasileño con residencia en Iowa, Will Lopes, lideró un campamento musical para jóvenes en la escuela primaria de Hampton. Además, la arista radicada en Iowa, Marrisa Hernandez, dirigió un mural comunitario en colaboración con jóvenes locales. Un evento de intercambio cultural estudiantil se llevó a cabo en el otoño del 2023; así también, el programa extraescolar basado en el arte y la cultura en La Luz Centro Cultural.
Con la finalización de los dos murales, muchos miembros de la comunidad han reconocido la belleza de la cultura latina. Una de las páginas de Facebook de nuestra comunidad local usa la imagen de uno de los murales como foto de perfil, lo que ha generado conciencia de cuánto apreciamos la diversidad en Hampton. Aunque no todo fue exitoso, pudimos comenzar nuevas tradiciones, tales como la noche de cultura comunitaria. También tenemos posibilidades de cultivar asociaciones futuras con el Consejo de las Artes del Condado de Franklin y con Will Lopes del Iowa Central Community College. Gracias a su programa extraescolar, La Luz Centro Cultural también ha podido ver cuánto los niños aman el arte. Con nuevos materiales artísticos, niños/jóvenes locales se han entusiasmado más con el arte, lo que ha resultado en un aumento en la asistencia.
El programa We the Many permitió que La Luz Centro Cultural desarrollara una conexión más profunda con diferentes miembros y organizaciones comunitarias por medio de nuevas colaboraciones. Nos ha permitido brindar más oportunidades para promocionar y celebrar la presencia e importancia de la cultura latina en nuestra comunidad. La Luz Centro Cultural tiene un enfoque en la comunidad latina dentro de nuestra área y, como tal, todo conduce de vuelta a la cultura. Con la subvención We the Many, pudimos continuar nuestros esfuerzos de asistencia a todos quienes pudimos, brindando servicios integrales y culturalmente relevantes, ya sea para entregar alimentos, completar un nuevo documento, procesar solicitudes de inmigración, o ayudar a que un niño tuviese un refugio después de la escuela.
Project Team / Equipo del Proyecto
Kyle Whalen, Executive Director / Director Ejecutivo
Primary Artists-in-Residence / Artistas Principales en Residencia: Mario Arévalo, Calle Sur, Gran Festival Performers, Ballet Folklorico México Azteca, Will Lopes, Marisa Hernández
Attendees in La Calavera makeup make crafts at La Luz Centro Cultural during a Dia de Los Muertos celebrate in November 2022.
Photo Credit: La Luz Cultural Center
Mexican cultural and food are displayed, showing off at student cultural exchange event in Hampton, Iowa in November 2023.
Photo Credit: La Luz Centro Cultural
Honduran students standing proud in front of their display at the student cultural exchange event in Hampton, Iowa in November 2023.
Photo Credit: La Luz Centro Cultural
Adorned in a dress crafted during a sewing class at La Luz Centro Cultural, a dancer captivates the crowd at Gran Festival—a yearly festival organized by La Luz for the community.
Youth and community members gather at Dia de Los Muertos cultural celebration held at La Luz Centro Cultural in November of 2022.
Photo Credit: La Luz Centro Cultural
Students join a ESL class, offered at La Luz Centro Cultural during the evenings in person in collaboration with North Iowa Area Community College. ESL classes have been a staple since the center’s inception, serving students at three different levels. The instructor is La Luz Centro Cultural’s executive director, Kyle Whalen.
Photo Credit: La Luz Centro Cultural
Community members watch a performance at the Gran Festival hosted by La Luz Centro Cultural. Each year, the Gran Festival celebration includes music, vendors, inflatables, food and brings together people of all ages and backgrounds.
