Welcome to Cafe Cultura's July 2017 newsletter! 

We are excited to update you as we work to fulfill our mission.

 

#CafeCultura #XpressYourself #TellingOurStories #ArtInThePark #WordsToActions #RiseUp

CafĂ© 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. 

We hope this message finds you and your family in good health and spirits.  This newsletter helps us keep you informed of our growth as an organization. You can find more updates on our Facebook (facebook.com/cafecultura), Issuu (issuu.com/cafecultura/docs), Instagram (instagram.com/cafeculturadenver), Flickr (flickr.com/photos/cafecultura/sets), and Youtube (youtube.com/user/cafeculturavideos) accounts.

Cafe Cultura presents
7th Annual Art in the Park
an open mic w/ spoken word, live art, vendors, food for sale, & community!

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 showcase (alcohol/drug free event)

WHEN: July 14th....2nd Fri. of every month...Summer 2017 (August 11th)

--->Marketplace w/ Vendors, Live Art, & Food for Sale @ 6:30pm
--->Show starts @ 7pm

WHERE: La Alma/Lincoln Park Amphitheater (12th Ave & Osage St...next to the swimming pool)  

$3-$5 donation (nobody turned away)

Everyone is welcome!

Features:
----> CU Upward Bound Program Students  (Cafe Cultura's Spoken Word class): the program serves approximately 100 students from 8 different states across the country. Targeting 20 high schools located on or near Native American reservations, our program works to provide students with insight into a college life hoping to set them on a path towards higher education.

----> Def-I (Dine' Hip Hop Artist):  Def-i is a Albuquerque native, representing the Southwest's Hip-Hop Scene as a member of New Mexico's Foundations of Freedom Crew, Skull Control Records, Chief Rockers, and Definition Rare. His style is multifaceted. His stockpile is all-inclusive: Hip-Hop, Spoken Word/Acapella, Instrumental, Breakbeat, Lyrical, Beatboxing, Downtempo, Underground/Freestyle Rap, Contemporary, and Native American.

Water Is Life (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO) - Def-i
Water Is Life (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO) - Def-i

Live Art by:
----> David Ocelotl Garcia  is a Mexican artist who expresses himself through many mediums, including sculpture, painting, music and dance. His work is culturally diverse and inspired by tradition, history, nature, balance and everyday life. "My art is the evolution of my past reflections of the future." He has been featured in the Westword and El Semanario.

----> Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe) is a provocative contemporary artist/activist. Much of Gregg's work deals with indigenous identity and pop culture, touching on issues of race relations, historical consideration, and stereotype.

Community Feature:
----> Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism (YAASPA):  YAASPA endeavors to build the self-efficacy of youth who desire to make change in our communities, pursue social science degrees, and social justice careers. Our mission: To encourage and support disengaged and underserved youth to participate in their communities socially and politically, in order to make changes within the community. To create political and social awareness regarding issues that directly and/or adversely affects our communities, it is necessary to be educated. Through activism and education, we can redefine the standards that have been placed upon us.

For more info: info@cafecultura.org; 720-460-9203


#CafeCultura #ArtInThePark #XpressYourself #TellingOurStories

Words to Actions Youth Leadership Program 

(#WordsToActions)

 

Photos from an exciting start to our summer program:

 


 

Xpress Yourself

Spoken Word/Poetry 

Workshops for Youth (#XpressYourself)


We have worked with schools and organizations throughout Colorado to give underserved youth an opportunity to express themselves . We recently had one of our best workshops with the  CU Diversity Summer Gathering .
 
If you are interested in Cafe Cultura presenting at your school or organization, feel free to contact us. We have used this  highly engaging and  culturally relevant  workshop structure for over a decade 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  support Language Arts curriculum (4th through 12th grades) 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. 


Cafe Cultura's Xpress Yourself: Hip Hop, Poetry, & Spoken Word workshops
Promo video for Cafe Cultura's Xpress Yourself: Hip Hop, Poetry, & Spoken Word workshops

We finished working with amazing youth @ College Track . Below is a glimpse. Students in our Spoken Word class with the CU Upward Bound Program are impressing us. Look to our next newsletter for their book. 

"But you are a fighter
and you know your strong roots
will keep you standing.
With all the struggles you have endured
and obstacles you have overcome,
you keep climbing higher and higher.
And now,
you are at the very top.
It is bright
because you are closer to the sun,
closer to your dreams.
As you move your tassel
from right to left,
you look out
and see that the mountain you are standing on
is the first one in the mountain range
that is your life.
Each peak is an accomplishment
waiting to happen.
You are ready to take on the challenge.
You are ready to fight.
"
-Miriam

"I am the flesh
and bones
of my ancestors,
carrying the history
and culture
of more than 80 different tribes
and tongues
that unite
as one.
I come from the birthplace of civilization
and therefore,
I understand
that in order to know
where we are heading,
we must always remember
the humble beginnings
we came from.
I come from the land
of 13 months of sunshine,
which reminds me
that after every
and any storm,
the sun will always shine again."
-Betty
Click here to read
 
Performance @ Art in the Park 
     



If you are interest ed in having Cafe Cultura bring our "Telling Our Stories" workshop series to your school as an electi ve, after-school enrichment, or a part of an existing class , contact us.  

Our youth-written books are available online . To access each collection of powerful spoken word poetry from participants in our workshop series,  simply click on the book cover .
 
Make sure to read future newsletters for more updates.
In this newsletter....
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Contact Information
Cafe Cultura
910 Galapago St
Denver, CO 80204

Hours: Mon-Fri from 8am to 6pm

info@cafecultura.org
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.


Whether you are a beginner or an experienced poet, join us as we workshop poems you are currently drafting or will write during our time together.

WHEN:  3rd Friday of the month (July 21st, August 18th, September 15th)
 
TIME: 6 to 7:30pm

WHERE:  910 Galapago St

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
 
Questions: 720-460-9203; info@cafecultura.org
Join Our Movement!

Exciting Updates
-Thank you  to everyone who joined us at our last open mic. It was an amazing night! We appreciate everyone who made it possible: volunteers, open mic participants, and attendees. Special thank you to 1) Participants from Cafe Cultura's classes for blessing us with powerful poetry 2) Wheelchair Sports Camp for sharing music that made us groove and think 3) Thien Tai for showing us insightful and moving art 4) Sisters of Color United for Education & HEAL explaining how we can improve our communities through organizing. Thank you!

It's Hard out Here for a Gimp - Wheelchair Sports Camp
Videos at our 5/12/17 Open Mic

 
   
    
- Cafe Cultura  was honored to receive a Civil Rights Award from NEWSED.
 
- Thank you to the  Denver American Indian Commission   for nominating our  Executive Director Ara Cruz for a 2016 Mayor's Diversity & Inclusion Award ...he accepted it on behalf of Cafe Cultura and everyone who makes what we do possible. Below is both a group picture and his acceptance video produced as part of the ceremony.
2016 Mayor's Diversity Award - Ara Cruz/Cafe Cultura
2016 Mayor's Diversity Award

-
Performances/shows from Cafe Cultura poets:  
If you want us to perform at an assembly or host an open mic featuring our spoken word artists, contact us. Funds will go to sustaining our organization and the work we do in the community (especially our workshops for youth). 

-We continue to receive support from important members of the foundation community. Thank you to our past and current funders: Arts In Society, Imagine 2020 Fund, Hispanics In Philanthropy, Latino Community Foundation Colorado, Young Latino Philanthropists, Bowen Family Performing Arts Fund (The Denver Foundation), Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), National Association for Latino Arts and Culture Fund for the Arts, Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples , WESTAF , and The Chinook Fund .