October 2021 Newsletter

Mi Gente, 

I want to share that the pilot of the Mambo Youth Orchestra with Maestro Eric Trujillo has come to an end, and our friends at Colorado Parent Magazine were there to capture the process. They put together a video feature for you to enjoy and share, see it below!

As a Team, we have been running on high gear to bring YOU the very best cultural arts experiences. Ofrendas 2021 launched with our partners at Escuela de Guadalupe, Foothills Art Center, Raices Brewing Company, the Mexican Cultural Center, and the Sun Valley Youth Center. We need to turn our shared losses into teachable moments for resilience and celebration. If you have yet to attend an Ofrendas Workshop, join us for upcoming events. 

We want to send a heartfelt thank you to our volunteers Adriana, Arielle, Amy, Flo, Gracie, Paula and Steve for already making Ofrendas a success, and the 50 new monthly donors, who are collectively contributing close to $10,000 a year!

Gracias Mi Gente - De Todo Corazón! Our goal is to keep delivering exceptional value to those that invest in us with special opportunities like sneak peaks and discounts with our local partners. 

We were very lucky to host Florencia Espinal and Vicente Castillo who shared the centuries-old tradition of lacquerware with the LCAC community, which is unique to Olinalá! It’s not too late to purchase some of their craft at Hijos del Sol. If you have an item at home, share images with us on social media using #ShopHijosdelSol!

Finally, please join me in giving Ryan H. Patterson a warm welcome to the LCAC Board of Directors! His expertise across philanthropy, finance and real estate will be essential to the next phase of our development. I have been fortunate to count on Ryan over the last 14 years as a friend and a brother. To learn more about him, check out the blog! 

Stay tuned - Colorado Gives is around the corner. 

Latest LCAC News/ Upcoming LCAC Events

The LCAC and Trujillo teamed up to create the LCAC Mambo Orchestra, a group that includes middle and high school students who, for eight weeks, studied classic and contemporary Latin, Mambo, and Salsa-based music. They practiced the flute, trumpet, piano, xylophone, congas, bass, and violin, all coming together to create rhythms with wide influences.

A special muchísimas gracias to Anna Sutter, from Colorado Parent, for capturing the spirit of the LCAC Mambo Orchestra.

Ryan Patterson is an associate at Northwood Investors, a private equity real estate owner and operator, where he manages the firm’s intelligent automation department. Prior to this role, Ryan interned on the asset management, fund accounting, and tax teams at Northwood. He has several years of experience in non-profit foundation work and social impact investing. Ryan received his MBA, with an emphasis in real estate and finance, from the University of Colorado-Boulder and completed his undergraduate degree at Colorado College. Ryan is also actively engaged in his community as a volunteer and mentor for high school students.

Ofrendas is a multi-faceted celebration of the ancient native and contemporary Mexican, Mexican-American and Guatemalan traditions behind Día de los Muertos. It is an invitation to co-create with local and international artisans, while celebrating and honoring our loved ones that have passed away.

Ofrendas Workshops are a fun and interactive approach to learning about Mesoamerican altar traditions and the healing power of the arts. Participants can create hand-made nichos, construct barriletes, make incense holders, and paper lanterns.

The LCAC's award-winning shop is open and ready to offer you the highest quality selection of artisanship from Colorado, across the Americas, and for a limited time only, from Olinalá, Guerrero!

Whether your family traditions already include altar making during Día de los Muertos, or you are looking to start new traditions to remember a loved one, you will find the best inventory of hand-made pieces at the Ofrendas Mercado.

If you would like to reserve your unique lacquerware item by Florencia Espinal and Vicente Castillo or sugar skull by @DulceAltar, set up a visit today! Call Adrianna at 720-353-2233.

Join us for a family-friendly, interactive, and immersive altar exhibition created by Norberto Mojardin. The event includes entertainment, vendors and food trucks! Don't miss the opportunity to participate in the Catrina contest, where those who enter could win $1,000!

In Community/ En Comunidad

On October 15, Museo de las Americas launched a new exhibition. Curated by the Chicano/a Murals Project of Colorado, Smoking Mirrors: Visual Histories of Identity, Resistance and Resilience will feature works across various mediums created by over twenty artists and muralists from Colorado and New Mexico, including objects on loan from the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College.

If you are interested in going deeper into grief support and education, please visit the Heart Light Center. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from best-selling author, Dr. Alan Wolfelt, about how to integrate grief into your life on Tuesday October 19, 2021. If you know anyone who would benefit from this opportunity to embrace hope and healing, please share this program.