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Cultural celebration

Fundraiser, 'Fallen Angels' show puts Latino arts center in public eye

Our favorite itinerant arts/culture mecca, the Calaca Cultural Center, is bustling with activity this month and next.

The third annual fundraiser for the Calaca Cultural Center is set for Feb. 19 at Garcia's del Metro, 3301 W. Peoria Ave., Phoenix. There'll be free admission for all ages to the Calaca Mercado, plus demonstrations, an art walk, raffle and face painting from noon to 6 p.m.
Musical performances by such bands as Califas, La Familia, Latin Spirit and a DJ are scheduled from 4 to 1 p.m.; admission is $10 per adult (you must be 21 to attend the concert).

"This is one of our biggest fundraisers," says Calaca director Marco Albarr‡n. "ItÕs really important to us."

The center's role is to bring together an array of Latino and indigenous cultural disciplines, including art, theater, dance, photography, literature, and the other forms of expressions found in the Americas. While the non-profit organization continues a search for a permanent
home, it finds ways to show the works of its artists and performers.

"It's taking a while," Albarr‡n admits cheerfully. "I'm working on it, though. It's something that we need. The whole community needs something like this."

In other Calaca news, the group's Fallen Angels, an art exhibition originally presented on the campus of Estrella Community College, has taken up residence in the second-floor Community Gallery Project space, 88 S. San Marcos Place, Chandler. The show runs through Jan. 31.

"Each individual artist has a different way of expressing their idea of an angel, where they come from and their role on earth," Albarr‡n says. "The artists reflect their perspectives and the way we see it."

Most works are acrylic or oil on canvas or plywood.

The project is hosted by the center as part of its community outreach program.

Among artists whose works can be seen in Fallen Angels are Albarran, Monica Gisel, Ruben Galicia, Juan Olalde, Tavo Barrios, Francisco Bañuelos, Cynthia Moreno-Krumrey and Maricela Reed.

For information, visit www.calaca.org or contact Albarr‡n at (480) 557-7195.