|
|
| Welcome to Cafe Cultura's August 2015 newsletter! We are excited to keep in touch with you as we work to fulfill our mission. #CafeCultura #XpressYourself #TellingOurStories #ArtInThePark #WordsToActions |
|
| Café 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. |
|
|
|
Cafe Cultura presents
5th Annual Art in the Park
an open mic w/ spoken word, food, art, vendors, & community! (#ArtInThePark)
|
| 
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 (alcohol/drug free event)
WHEN: August 14th....2nd Fri. of every month (September 11th return to 9th Ave & Galapago St)
--->Marketplace w/ Vendors, Live Graffiti, & Food for Sale @ 6:30pm --->Show starts @ 7pm
WHERE: La Alma/Lincoln Park Amphitheater (12th Ave & Osage St...next to the swimming pool)
$3 (nobody turned away); combo pack: event t-shirt & Cafe Cultura sticker for $5
Everyone is welcome!
with support from
-Biennial of the Americas
-Ready Foods Inc
-Tocabe, An American Indian Eatery
-Santiago's
-El Noa Noa
August Features:
---->Motus Theater's Do You Know Who I Am?
is an autobiographical performance scripted by Kirsten Wilson of Motus Theater based on monologues written and performed by undocumented leaders in our community, including: Juan Juarez, Victor Galvan, Oscar Juarez, Ana Cristina Temu and Hugo Juarez. With original music by Brian Mullins.
|
|
| Do You Know Who I Am? (Excerpts) |
|
---->
Dominique Christina
is an award-winning writer, performer, educator, and activist. She holds five national poetry slam titles in four years, including the 2014 & 2012 Women of the World Slam Champion and 2011 National Poetry Slam Champion. Her work is greatly influenced by her family's legacy in the Civil Rights Movement and by the idea that words make worlds. Her first full-length poetry book, The Bones, The Breaking, The Balm: A Colored Girl's Hymnal, published by Penmanship Books, is available now. Her second book, This Is Woman's Work, is set for publication in October 2015.
|
|
| Karma by Dominique Christina |
---->
Live Graffiti by Hector Palacios
I am a 24 years old student at Metropolitan State university. After graduating, my plan is to travel the world and paint while meeting new people and getting introduced to different cultures. I have been writing graffiti for 8 years and do not plan on stopping anytime soon.
Community Partner
---->
Northern Colorado Dreamers United (NCDU)
is a youth led organization that works towards enhancing immigrant rights through education, civic engagement, and grassroots organizing. We work with the people to achieve immigration reform and empower underrepresented communities.
#CafeCultura #ArtInThePark #XpressYourself #TellingOurStories
|
|
Pancake Movie Night - Fundraiser for Words to Actions Youth Leadership Program (#WordsToActions)
|
Cafe Cultura's Words to Actions Youth Leadership Program brings together Indigenous (Native, Chicana/o, Latina/o) youth ages 13-18 starting with a five week paid summer camp (in 2015: July 13 - August 14). Participants gain confidence, cultural awareness, and leadership skills to strengthen their family, community, and/or tribe. Activities include workshops, guest speakers, field trips, creative expression, community outreach, and the creation of a mural.
 
Gift #1: Cafe Cultura Stickers
Gift #2: Cafe Cultura Stickers & Print of 2015 Mural (created by youth)
Gift #3: Cafe Cultura Stickers, Print of 2015 Mural, & Art in the Park T-shirt
Gift #4: Cafe Cultura Stickers, Print of 2015 Mural, & Art in the Park T-shirt; Prints of 2013 and 2014 murals
Gift #5: Cafe Cultura Stickers, Print of 2015 Mural, & Art in the Park T-shirt; Prints of 2013 and 2014 murals; print of CC's banner (signed by artist)
 
Checks can also be sent to:
Cafe Cultura
910 Galapago St
Denver, CO 80204
|
We recently finished teaching our "Telling Our Stories" spoken word workshop series as part of the CU Upward Bound program's Advanced Creative Writing Class. After an amazing performance at our last Art in the Park, we were able to publish their insightful poetry in a book (click on the image below to read it). Here are a few excerpts:
"There I am,
a strong statement for my Dine' people, leading us to a better future for my generation. I become the strand of yarn woven into our history, the way my grandmother said, taking an unfinished rug and weaving it into a long lasting, beautiful masterpiece. Our successes are woven together to block out the stereotypes, as our ancestors' sacrifices make us more determined Hozho Bik'e Yisha (To walk in beauty)."
"She said,
'Every time you would come to me telling me you fell, I smiled because you always got back up, no matter how much it hurt. You did not let the pain get in the way.' I always think about her words when I am going through tough times. I look at the scars 7 years later and see that I did get up and got out of the pain. We all have fallen. We all have scars, scars that have a memory or a story and scars that only you can see. Just remember: always get back up. You mean something to me
and I will always have a smile waiting for you.
"
If you are interested in having Cafe Cultura bring our "Telling Our Stories" workshop series to your school as
an elective, after-school enrichment, or a part of an existing class, contact as soon as possible.
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.
|
|
| Contact Information |
|
Cafe Cultura
P.O. Box 11791
Denver, CO 80211
Office: 910 Galapgo St
Hours: Mon-Thurs from 9am to 2:00pm
Fri from 9am to 5pm
|
|
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. 
|
| Xpress Yourself Basic Spoken Word Workshops for Youth (#XpressYourself) |
We have worked with numerous schools and organizations throughout Colorado to give underserved youth an opportunity to express themselves. Recent partners: Jovenes Unidos.
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 eight 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.
 |
| Cafe Cultura's Xpress Yourself: Hip Hop, Poetry, & Spoken Word workshops |
|
|
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:
Last Saturday of the month (August 29th, September 26th, October 31st)
TIME:
11:00 to 12:30pm
WHERE:
Cafe Cultura Office (910 Galapago St)
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
|
| Exciting Updates |
Thank you to everyone who joined us for another 5th Annual Art in the Park (2nd Friday of the month...Summer 2015)...Around 200 people
enjoyed an open mic event featuring:
9 graffiti artists battling for the audience's votes (congrats to Pyro CMS for winning),
spoken word from 7 high school students in our Advanced Creative Writing Class (CU-Upward Bound Program
), a performance from Kewa Pueblo rapper/activist MC Rhetorik, and encouraging words from
Stronghold Society
. We also appreciate those food vendors who provided Indian Tacos, snacks, and snow cones. Shout out to the volunteers who helped make the event possible. Special thank you to our sponsors: Biennial of the Americas, Ready Foods Inc., Tocabe, An American Indian Eatery, Santiago's Mexican Restaurants, and El Noa Noa.
|
|
| Videos from July 2015 Art in the Park |
-
We are moved!
We are enjoying our new office @ 910 Galapago St (site of our monthly open mic event). After almost 10 years of working with the school, we look forward to building on this relationship to strengthen both organizations' work in the community. More updates to come!
-We continue to receive support from important members of the foundation community. Thank you to our recent funders: Bowen Family Performing Arts Fund (The Denver Foundation), Biennial of the Americas, National Association for Latino Arts and Culture Fund for the Arts, Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples, Peyback Foundation, Hispanics In Philanthropy, Latino Community Foundation of Colorado, WESTAF, and The Chinook Fund.
-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 poets:
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).
|
Work Study Jobs with Cafe Cultura
If you're a student at Metropolitan State University of Denver or University of Colorado Denver and been awarded work study, you can earn
$10/hour while
contributing to the work Cafe Cultura does in the community.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
