Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana (MACLA) is a contemporary arts space focused on the

Chicano Chicano or Chicana is a chosen identity for many Mexican Americans in the United States. The label ''Chicano'' is sometimes used interchangeably with ''Mexican American'', although the terms have different meanings. While Mexican-American ident ...

and

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

experience and history, located in the

SoFA district SoFA (South of First Area) is an arts, cultural, and entertainment district of Downtown San Jose, California. Home to numerous cultural institutions, art galleries, and theatre companies, including the Institute of Contemporary Art San José, the ...

at 510 South First Street in San Jose, California. The museum was founded in 1989, in order to encourage civic dialog and social equity. The current programming includes visual art, performing and literary arts, youth arts education, and a community art program. The space has two performing arts spaces, a gallery and the MACLA Castellano Playhouse and they frequently host poetry readings and film screenings.

History

The Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana was founded in 1989 by Maribel Alvarez, Mary Jane Solis, Rick Sajor and Eva Terrazas. They envisioned arts programming as a vehicle for civic dialogue and social equity as San José’s urban core underwent redevelopment. Alvarez, former executive director for MACLA (1996–2003), begins her historic essay of early MACLA in terms of revival of a Latino cultural center plus public debates about the identity and future of San José and Latino arts advocacy in the 1980s. For decades there was a disagreement with MACLA and the city of San Jose, the city wanted the museum to be based in the

Mexican Heritage Plaza The Mexican Heritage Plaza - Centro Cultural de San José is a Chicano/ Mexican-American cultural center in San Jose, California, located in the Mayfair neighborhood of East San Jose. History Mexican Heritage Plaza opened in 1999. It is operate ...

but MACLA wanted to be part of the contemporary art dialog happening in the city in the downtown area. Between 2009 until 2013, MACLA started the process of securing grants and funds to buy their building. The building closed escrow in May 2013, which secured a future of Latinx engagement and physical space in the downtown San Jose community during

gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and planning. Gentrification often increases the ec ...

. Anjee Helstrup-Alvarez has served as the

executive director Executive director is commonly the title of the chief executive officer of a non-profit organization, government agency or international organization. The title is widely used in North American and European not-for-profit organizations, though ...

of MACLA since 2011 until present. A 2016 mural by artist Aaron De La Cruz is on the outside of the museum building

Exhibitions

This is a list of select visual art exhibitions at MACLA, to give example of programming.

References

External links

* {{authority control Contemporary art galleries in the United States Art museums established in 1989 Museums in San Jose, California Tourist attractions in Silicon Valley Art museums and galleries in California Art in the San Francisco Bay Area Latino museums in the United States

History

Exhibitions

See also

References

External links