Donor Advised Funds
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Message from the Executive Director
A cornerstone of the vibrant SoFA (South First Area) arts and entertainment district, we offer groundbreaking and risk-taking programs in the visual, performing and literary arts that intentionally bridge cultural divides. Our work challenges notions about contemporary Latino arts and culture, celebrates all cultures, engages urban youth and confronts urgent themes in today’s society. Our work reflects the dynamic, creative, technological and community-oriented currents of Silicon Valley —yearly we explore key issues such as immigration; privacy in the age of social networking; hybrid “Latino-“ and “-American” identities; the changing nature of cities; transnational culture; and, the ongoing impact of globalization on local cultures. In doing so, we bring our local sensibility to the global dialogue. Ours is a space and a place.
We have always been at the forefront of arts programming, featuring a mix of innovative and groundbreaking art and performances that both circumscribe and defy the traditions from which they have come. We believe that cultural citizenship-building can come from an inclusive mix of past and present, the classic and the new, supported by the rigorous curatorial approaches of our experienced staff.
MACLA’s inclusiveness and unique approach extends to our large community, which includes over 30,000 participants per year. Artists mingle with audiences in the form of workshops and post-performance talkbacks; young students are mentored by professional artists in our award-winning Peapod Adobe Youth Voices Academy program; and, donors and new art collectors are at the forefront of arts and culture in the gallery talks with our curators. For us, art is education, participation, activism, and a multi-part dialogue that keeps expanding its citizenship and members.
You are already part of our community, even before you come see our shows or happen to stumble upon us during the popular South First Friday walks. But we hope that you will make yourself officially a part of our family, by attending, donating, creating, and engaging. Welcome to MACLA.
-Anjee Helstrup-Alvarez
