La Peña Cultural Center

Welcome to La Peña! Promoting social justice & intercultural understanding through the arts since 1975.

Contact Us
Donate Now!

Search Results for: 2

A message from Paul Chin

“Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better.”

 –Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy 2012

Dear La Peña Staff, Board, and volunteers,

It is hard to believe that 2012 is nearly here. I want to take this moment to express my gratitude to all of you who done your part in keeping La Peña alive and well this past year. Your commitments in time and donations have sustained us.

Despite having financial set backs and the loss of staff, I feel La Peña will be a leaner and healthier organization in 2012.  I am especially inspired by the work of the 2nd Generation Committee in mobilizing and organizing people for the Occupy Movement and for raising the critical issues of the deepening of inequalities in American society.  Yes, we are the 99%!

Besides participating in the greater movement for peace and social justice, the 2nd Gen has concretely improved the La Peña lounge area.  Working on Dec. 24, 25, 26 and 27 they have beautified the space with a new fresh paint job, re-varnished the wood paneling, added a very cool bar to the wall, added a new stage, hung the large speakers, and installed new sound equipment.  The 2nd Gen committee has also been active in programming youth oriented programs in the lounge as well as in the theater space.  Their spirit is invigorating.  I applaud their energy and accomplishments. Their work has inspired us all.  A special thanks to Sudia and Craig for getting the 2nd Gen together more than a year ago!

In 2012 I look forward to working with each one of you to strengthen La Peña and deepen our impact in the community.   This coming February 11th La Peña is working with the Black Choreographers Festival in presenting Marc Joseph Bamuthi’s dance piece “Word Becomes Flesh” at the Laney College Theater in Oakland, one block from the Lake Merritt BART. This is a piece that La Peña originally commissioned in 2002 and premiered at the Alice Arts Center (now called the Malonga Arts Center), in Oakland in 2003.

The piece toured nationally and has since been restaged using funds from the National Performance Network Re-Creation fund and support from the James Irvine Foundation. Bamuthi has re-created the piece using 5 dancers and is essentially a choreographed poem about becoming a single young father from a Black male’s perspective.  We are especially proud to be presenting this piece and look forward to seeing all of you there on Feb. 11, 2012.

See you all in 2012!  In peace and solidarity,

Paul

Year-end campaign update

Here is an update of our 2011 year-end campaign.

Donations received by Dec 27, 2011
Individual donations received by Dec 27, 2011

As of December 27, 2011, 94 people have donated $8,341.79 US dollars.

We would like to say thank you to all the people who have donated to this year-end campaign.  Don’t forget that you can get a tax deduction for 2011 if you make your donation by the end of the year.

La Peña in the News

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuBHaBkIlzQ&w=640&h=480]

In June of 2011, Paul Chin was showcased in “Profiles on Excellence” an Emmy Award-winning series produced by ABC 7 (video above).  And on December 13, 2011, the people acknowledged throughout the year in the “Profiles on Excellence” series were honored in a reception held at the Channel’s 7 studios (read more here).

End of the Year Appeal Letter

We are writing to ask you for your support. In these tough times for the 99 percent, the gap between rich and poor in the United States has not been this extreme since the Great Depression. With unprecedented concentration of income, wealth, and political power in the top 1 percent, the emerging Occupy Movement has been pushing grievances that continue to grow daily. No wonder the clamor in the streets for economic and social justice is getting louder and heard throughout the world. Since its inception over 36 years ago, La Peña has always supported efforts to raise the issue of social and economic justice.

Cuts in government and foundation funding have deeply hurt grass roots organizations that use arts to advance social justice issues. State funding to arts has been cut by 40 percent and, according to the Foundation Center, only 4 percent of private foundations’ grant dollars are classified as advancing social justice.

Your donation will help further our mission
of promoting peace, cultural diversity
and social justice through the arts.

The importance of our cultural work goes far beyond the presentation of diverse performance and visual arts. La Peña connects artists and people actively engaged in social movements with a broader audience.

Some recent examples are:

La Peña’s Second Generation Collective organized a public video-conference with the Chilean student movement, a protest of thousands of students angered by higher tuition and fewer jobs.

Oakland’s based Chiapas Support Committee hosted speakers and performers from Mexico, giving a Bay Area audience direct contact to the Zapatista movement.

A delegation of Mapuche indigenous people from Chile came to La Peña to meet the community and further the discussion around permaculture, food security and how to best support indigenous peoples’ movements.

Consider the many ways you can contribute:

  • You can donate securely online through Network for Good or PayPal, were do a one time donation or set a monthly contribution.
  • You can send a check payable to La Peña Cultural Center.
  • Additionally, your contribution can be multiplied with employers’ matching donation programs (check if your employer has one).

For information, please contact
Nicolás Cabrera at nico[at]lapena.org
(510.849-2568 ext.12).

On behalf of all La Peña’s Staff

Thank you for your support!