The National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) is a

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

-based,

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

organization dedicated to Latino art and culture. It is the United States' primary arts organization dedicated towards the promotion of

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 ...

art and artists in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

. It supports 900 artists and art-based organizations. Since its founding in 1989, NALAC has provided over 2.3 million dollars in grant money in support of over 185,000 Latino artists and art based organizations throughout the region.

History

NALAC was founded in 1989 when a group of Latino artists of various disciplines, came together to advocate nationally for Latino art. Initially NALAC provided Latino artists with a network of support, but found itself struggling and without clear direction. NALAC's board of directors appointed long-time volunteer María López De León as executive director in 2002. Maria served on the National Council of the Arts under president

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

. Maria utilized her network within the art world to raise money and create NALAC's first grant program - NALAC Fund for the Arts. The Fund allowed individual projects to be brought to life, but only provided funding for single projects and most artists had trouble marketing themselves or their work.

Leadership Institute

In the early 1990s, NALAC began to develop the "Leadership Institute". The Institute selects promising artists and teaches them how to network and develop business and administration skills. Additionally, they help to cultivate their artistic skills and network with other artists. The Leadership Institute was facilitated by teachers such as Actor/Director Rosalba Rolon, Maribel Alvarez and Abel Lopez and helped develop the career of artist Lia Uribe, among others.

Transnational Cultural Remittances Grant Program

Created in 2008 and supported by the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

, The Ford Foundation and The Andrew Mellon Foundation, it was a way for both individuals and community groups to utilize art for cultural exchange between the

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

Documentary

''Visiones'', produced by Galan productions and NALAC, is a six-part documentary series that takes audiences on a trip across the United States, displaying the creative talent of Latino artists from all walks of life. The documentary was presented on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

and went on to win the

Imagen award The Imagen Awards are administered by the Imagen Foundation, an organization dedicated to "encouraging and recognizing the positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment industry." To be considered for an Imagen Award, a media piece or person ...

. The series, along with its accompanying education curriculum, is a tool created to expose student to Latino arts and culture; it has been distributed to more than 35,000 schools.

References

External links

* {{authority control Hispanic and Latino American organizations Arts organizations based in Texas 1989 establishments in Texas Organizations established in 1989