Library Gallery to display artwork from first area Latino arts celebration, Aug. 8-Oct. 12

Exhibit: “Nuestras Artes: Visual Arts” on display Aug. 8-Oct. 12

Reception date and time: Wednesday, Aug. 8, 6:30-9 p.m.

Location: The Goshen College Good Library Gallery

Cost: Free and open to the public.

Event sponsors: Nueva Identidad de Vida/New Identity of Life (NIV) and Goshen College

GOSHEN, Ind. – As part of the first annual “Nuestras Artes: Semana Cultural 07,” a weeklong Michiana Latino arts celebration, an exhibit of artwork produced by local artists, children and youth will be displayed in the Goshen College Good Library Gallery through Oct. 12 and will open with a reception on Wednesday, Aug. 8.

The exhibit will open at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday with refreshments available from 6:30 to 9 p.m. “People can come view and discuss the work, hopefully with all or most of the artists,” said Lisa Guedea Carreño,library director and one of the coordinators for the exhibit. There will be live acoustic music. The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.

“The exhibit will include paintings, drawings and photographs by local Latino artists and also by children and youth who are taking classes with NIV right now,” Guedea Carreño said. NIV (Nueva Identidad de Vida/New Identity of Life) is a nonprofit youth group that aims to respond to the growing Hispanic youth population in the Michiana area by providing opportunities for them, often in the form of visual and performing arts.

NIV is co-sponsoring the exhibit along with Goshen College Good Library and the college’s Multicultural Affairs Office. Throughout the summer, NIV has offered classes in painting, drawing and photography.

NIV is central to organizing and sponsoring “Nuestras Artes: Semana Cultural 07,” of which the art exhibit is a part. The event runs from Aug. 7 until Aug. 11 and will involve four evenings of scheduled events and performances in the visual arts, videography and music in locations throughout the area.

The day of videos (Día de Video) will include a showing of “Fuerza” a documentary produced by four Goshen College students last year. The last day, Saturday, will be all day long at Island Park in Elkhart and will include health screenings by Elkhart General Hospital as well as other informational booths, live music, food and games.

Diana Montiel, the secretary of NIV and main overseer of planning for the week of arts, emphasized that the event is open to people of all backgrounds. She said the mission of the weeklong celebration is, “to communicate through the arts — that’s a universal language — and bring our communities together through the arts.”

Guedea Carreño believes the art exhibit’s presence on campus reflects the goals of the grant Goshen College received in October 2006 for the development of the Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning. The center seeks to understand how small liberal arts colleges can best serve rapidly increasing Latino immigrant populations.

Guedea Carreño said, “One way to do this is to traverse the obvious physical boundaries: Invite people to campus who otherwise might not have reason to come to campus, and then make sure they feel welcome when they get here. ‘Mi casa es su casa,’ or in this case, ‘Mi galería es su galería.’”

The hours of the gallery are the same as the hours of the library. Before classes begin, Aug. 8-24, the hours will be 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday (closed weekends). Saturday, Aug. 25 the hours will be 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26 the library will be closed. On Monday Aug. 27, the hours will be 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Beginning Aug. 28, hours will be as follows: 7:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m.-11 p.m. Sunday. On Celebrate Service Day, Sept. 19, the hours will be 7:30 a.m.-9 a.m. and 4 p.m.-11 p.m.

– by Kelli Yoder

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

EVENTS CALENDAR

Nuestras Artes, Cultural Week 07

Aug. 7-11, 2007

Tuesday, Aug. 7

Inauguration

Downtown@808

216 S. Main St.

Goshen Theater

6 p.m.-9 p.m.

6-6:45 p.m. Caroline, “Se Busca Estrella”, winner

7-7:45 p.m. Gold Mine Pickers

8-8:20 p.m. Alex Naula, Folk music from Ecuador

8:30-9 p.m. Angel Guzmán, acoustic music

Coffee and snacks provided by “The Electric Brew”

Wednesday, Aug. 8

Visual Arts Day

Goshen College

Library Art Gallery

1700 S. Main St.

4:30-9 p.m.

Local artist exhibit of photography, drawing and painting.

Snacks provided by Goshen College

Thursday, Aug. 9

Video Day

Downtown@808

Goshen Theater

216 S. Main St.

5-10:30 p.m.

5-6 p.m. “Youth in Michiana,” documentary; Director: Magdiel Santiago

6:30-7 p.m. “FUERZA.” Documentary filmed in Goshen, EEUU and  Hidalgo, México by Soluz Films. www.soluzfilms.com

7:30-9 p.m. “RIO ARRIBA,” film by Ulises de la Orden, Argentinian Director www.rioarriba.com.ar (English Subtitles).

9:30-10:30 p.m. Discussion on the videos shown.

Popcorn sale, fundraiser for “ NIV’s Latino Arts Scholarship.”

Friday, Aug. 10

Music Day

Downtown@808

Goshen Theater

216 S. Main St.

4:30-10:30 p.m.

4:30-5:30 p.m. Our Arts music workshop, student participation

5:30-6 p.m. DJ MJR

6-6:30 p.m. Hefzi Guzmán

7-8 p.m. Choreography: “Creation” by Escuela de Danza de 808.

Coffee & snacks provided by “The Electric Brew”

Big Outdoor Dance at Washington Street, between Main & 5th Street. Goshen

8-8:30 p.m. DJ Froy & DJ MJR

8:30-10:30 p.m. Salsa Band  “Orquesta Caribe”

Popcorn sale, fundraiser for “NIV’s Latino Arts Scholarship”

 

Saturday, Aug. 11

Nuestras Artes  Festival

Island Park, Elkhart

N. Main St. & Sycamore St.

8 a.m.-10 p.m.

Live performances 9 a.m.-10 p.m.

9-10 a.m.  Alex Naula, Folk music from Ecuador

10-11 a.m.  Romantic Piano by Rafael Chavez

11 a.m.-12 p.m.  Violin performance by Hugo de Luna

12-1 p.m.  Grupo Folklórico de Elkhart

1-2 p.m.  The Inside Divide

2-3 p.m.  Iguana Song

3-4 p.m.  Rif Raf

4-5 p.m. Santiago Vivaldi

5-6 p.m. Maderas Band

6-6:30 p.m. Thanks to sponsors and announcement of amount raised for “ NIV’s  Latino Arts Scholarship”

6:30-7 p.m.  DJ Froy

7-10 p.m.  “My Brother’s Salsa Band”

Also in live presentations:

Exhibition from the ‘Charros’ Association “4 Herraduras del Norte de Indiana,” handcrafts, prizes for the entire family, children’s activities, painting demonstrations, magician performance, Low Rider Show, Classic Auto Show, Motorcycle Show, information and promotions from sponsors, food throughout the day, and much more ...

8 a.m.-7 p.m.  Elkhart General Hospital will be offering free health testing for the entire community. Some tests require special preparation. For more information call Margarita at (574) 524-7517. Full information pertaining to requirements for each test and the schedules will be published in a special section of El Puente newspaper in its Aug. 7, 2007 edition.