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Welcome to Cafe Cultura's
June 2014 newsletter! We're excited to keep in touch with you regarding our continued growth in fulfilling our mission.
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Caf� Cultura is an award-winning arts, culture, and youth development organization that promotes unity and healing among Indigenous peoples through creative expression while empowering youth to find their voice, reclaim oral and written traditions, and become leaders in their communities.
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Cafe Cultura presents
4th Annual Art in the Park
an open mic w/ spoken word, food, art, vendors, & community!
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Spread the word...Bring your family & friends!!!!!
VOLUNTEERS PLEASE ARRIVE AT 5:30pm :-)
Note: Make sure to come early to sign up and get a good seat.
WHAT: All ages Open Mic Night
WHEN: 2nd Fri. of every month...Summer 2014 (June 13th, July 11th, August 8th)
--->Marketplace w/ Vendors, Art, & Food @ 6:30pm
--->Show starts @ 7pm
WHERE: La Alma/Lincoln Park Amphitheater (12th Ave & Osage St...next to the swimming pool)
Come express yourself creatively or just chill with your people
$3 donation (nobody turned away)......Everyone is welcome!
June Features:
---->Showcase of Workshop Participants from La Academia @ Denver Inner City Parish, Denver Center for International Studies, College Track/Summit 54, KIPP Denver Collegiate HS, STRIVE Prep SMART, Heart & Hand, STRIVE Prep Excel, and Contemporary Learning Academy. Youth from these sites have done an amazing job with Cafe Cultura's intensive workshop series. In addition to publishing books of poetry, they performed for their communities. Now they will come together to share their words and insights with our regular audience.
---->Hannabah Blue is Dine' (Navajo) from New Mexico, and has been writing poetry since her elementary school years. She works with Native communities on social justice and sexual health, including previously at the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center. She recently completed a Masters degree at the Harvard School of Public Health and is embarking on a new adventure in her life and career.
 | | Hannabah Blue - It's Trendy to be Indian || Spoken Word |
--->Live Art from Bianquiz: I am a Chicana artist. I lost my best friend to gang violence and art saved my life. My art tells stories and shows feelings of the average person through vibrant colors and patterns. I currently attend Metropolitan State University of Denver and will graduate in December with a Bachelors in Spanish and a minor in Entrepreneurship. My dream is to use my talents and passions to inspire at risk youth to follow their dreams and pursue something grand.
| For more info: [email protected]; 720-394-6589; www.cafecultura.org
 Event Page |
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Save the Date:
June 13 @ 6:30pm at La Alma/Lincoln Park Amphitheater
WHAT?: The ultimate showcase of our workshop participants from all of our sites (Denver Center for International Studies, STRIVE Prep SMART HS, KIPP Denver Collegiate HS, STRIVE Prep Excel HS, Heart & Hand, Contemporary Learning Academy, La Academia @ Denver Inner City Parish, and College Track/Summit 54).
Here are some excerpts from the books we published on behalf of participating youth:
Excerpt from a Contemporary Learning Academy student:
I'm a painting without a caption,
not that you could capture me
in a word
or two,
or three.
I'm the impatient dabbles
of the addict filled with despair.
I'm the lush strokes
of the selfish child who never learned how to share.
I'm the random splurges of color from a woman
with a heart so big,
her chest can barely contain it.
I'm the faded fingerprints of the lost ones that made it.
Excerpt from a STRIVE Prep SMART student:
He's made of steel
and talks like a volcano.
He knows the future
and fights for freedom,
knowing the way
to heaven or hell.
I'm an image of his appearance,
the flowers admirer,
the tamales,
pozole,
y menudo that bless the air with beauty.
The rain
and rainbows
cover his spirit
like cloth.
The antiques that he brings back
make my life blossom with pride,
like the flower
made into a necklaces of gold
that connect to the pain of the Mayans,
while bringing hope and light to the world.
Excerpt from a STRIVE Prep Excel student:
My people
are the type of people
who are willing to die for what's right.
We may not be rich,
but we still have more power and might.
So if you still think my people are lazy,
just look at their hands.
Look at every single cut
that field left on my people.
Each cut will tell our story.
Each cut will prove you wrong.
It's time to give all power to the people.
Excerpt from a Denver Center for International Studies student:
If you slit my wrist,
you will see my Indian blood drip down
ever so slowly
as thick as molasses oozing out.
The mean hateful words
turn it dark red and thick.
But I am proud.
Our battle scars
show the tough battles we fought to get this far.
We're so close to being free
and slowly gaining respect.
We pick ourselves up,
dusting each other off
and cracking a smile.
We stand hand in hand again,
stronger than ever.
Excerpt from a Heart & Hand youth:
I am a girl
who comes from another woman.
That woman is my mom.
She brings my future
and reminds me of my past.
She makes me feel loved,
warm,
comfortable,
happy,
and beautiful.
"Be yourself
and the right people will love you.
Be someone else
and people will only like you."
This quote has helped me through life
as I figure out who are my real friends are.
This determined my strength
and helped me to be strong.
Make sure to read future newsletters for more updates.
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Contact Information
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Cafe CulturaP.O. Box 11791 Denver, CO 80211
Office: 1029 Santa Fe Dr Unit #6
Hours: Mon-Thurs from 9am to 4:30pm
Fri from 1 to 4:30pm.
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Basic Xpress Yourself Spoken Word Workshops for Youth
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If you are interested in having Cafe Cultura present at your school or organization, feel free to contact us. Our basic version is a one time, 1 to 2 hour session. We have used this highly engaging and culturally relevant workshop structure for over seven years to encourage Chicana/o and Native youth to use spoken word to give voice to our stories of love, struggle, injustice, and celebration. They serve to supplement and support Language Arts/English curriculum. Workshop structure was designed by a spoken word artist with 4 years experience teaching at the middle and high school level with contributions from other poets and youth advocates. Click here for a detailed information sheet.
We're extremely excited to share a promotion video for these workshops (edited by Derek Brown...Chair, Cafe Cultura's Board of Directors).
 | | Cafe Cultura's Xpress Yourself: Hip Hop, Poetry, & Spoken Word workshops |
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As you step inside this workshop, you will learn how to express your thoughts and feelings through hip hop, poetry, and spoken word. Give voice to your stories of love, struggle, injustice, and celebration. With our words, we can represent our culture(s) and tradition(s) as we strengthen our minds.
WHEN: Saturdays in 2014 (June 21, July 19, August 16, September 20, October 18, November 15, December 20)
TIME: 11:00 to 12:30pm
WHERE: Cafe Cultura Office (1029 Santa Fe Dr)
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
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Exciting Updates
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We appreciate everyone who made last month's open mic a powerful experience...from volunteers and Cafe Cultura Collective members to attendees and open mic participants. Special thank you to our features for blessing us with your words, music, dance, and art: InVinity, The Flava's, Xitlallin Payan, and Native Lacrosse. (visit our flickr set for more).
-We were honored to have been selected for the 2013 Mayor's Award for Excellence in Arts & Culture (Youth Arts). Here is the video they produced for us:
 | | 2013 Denver Mayor's Awards for Excellence in Arts and Culture - Youth Arts Award: Cafe Cultura |
-Performances/shows from Cafe Cultura Collective members: If you want us to host an open mic featuring our spoken word artists, contact us ASAP. Funds will go to sustaining our organization and the work we do in the community (especially our workshops for youth).
-Feel free to visit our website
often for updates (click on the image).
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Internships w/ Cafe Cultura!
If you are interested in helping build our organization while gaining valuable experience and making connections in the community, below are the unpaid internship positions we hope to fill ASAP.
Development Intern: provide assistance in organizing activities that will lead to the growth and development of our organization. This includes being involved with implementation of strategic plan, fundraising, and engaging Board of Directors.
Click Here for Development Intern Job Description
Communications Intern: help in coordinating effective and efficient communication within the organization as well as with the community. In addition to internal communications, this person will focus on promotion and documentation of our programs.
Click Here for Communications Intern Job Description
Programs Intern: be actively involved in planning and carrying out programs including events, workshops, and our youth leadership program.
Click Here for Programs Intern Job Description
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Make a one-time or monthly donation to Cafe Cultura!
You have the opportunity to invest in Cafe Cultura's work in the community. Click on the following image to make a tax-deductible donation.
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