Lunada Literary Lounge this Thursday

	IN THIS NEWSLETTER: Upcoming programming: Lunada Literary Lounge this Thursday Studio 24 Presents: photo gallery and more In the community: Galería at SFIFF56, Baile en la Calle __________________________________________________________________________
	UPCOMING PROGRAMMING Lunada Literary Lounge In honor of National Poetry Month Thursday, April 25 7:30pm \| $5 admission April is National Poetry Month, and Lunada Literary Lounge is proud to present poet Jade Cho hailing from Youth Speaks, Brave New Voices, CalSlam, and Poetry for the People at UC Berkeley. Also in our literary lounge, Lunada is excited to feature visual artist and storyteller Vanessa Solari Espinosa (AGANA), who will be sharing tales of travel, evolution, and aerosol escapades via visual projection. Jade Cho is a poet from Oakland, California. She has competed nationally on the 2011 Youth Speaks SF Brave New Voices slam team, and on the current 2013 UC Berkeley CUPSI team. The granddaughter of immigrants from Toisan, China, her work explores the complexities of Asian American identity and femininity, and the everyday intersections of power and privilege that affect us all. She is a B.A. candidate in Ethnic Studies, a Student Teacher Poet in June Jordan's Poetry for the People Program at UC Berkeley, and is currently working on her first book. Vanessa Sofia Solari Espinoza (AGANA) is an audiovisual specialist, digital media storytelling educator, and aerosol artist. She believes in the power of visual stimulation to create evocative educational messages that drive social change. For the past ten years, she has used her knowledge of digital media and creative arts with Bay Area youth to encourage them to tell their own unique stories through mural painting and film. Vanessa uses skills from her bachelor of science in animation and special effects to design and integrate education into games and interactive media arts applications. Her focus and drive is to share her gifts and encourage young artists by giving them the auditory and visual tools to express conceptual messages. Vanessa is an Ex-Vandal, also known as "DJ AGANA." She is apart of Few and Far, a movement that brings talented women together in graffiti art and skateboarding. Lunada Literary Lounge has been the Bay Area’s only bilingual literary ritual and performance gathering for over a decade. Held every month on the night of the full moon, Lunada is a community gathering where stories, food, songs, and spirit are shared. Each Lunada features community poets, local legends, visiting mystics, and other mero meros of the stage. Sign-ups at 7:15pm; first timers always welcome. Meet the artists >> Facebook >> __________________________________________________________________________
	NOW ON VIEW: STUDIO 24 PRESENTS A new program seeking to raise artist visibility, promotion of artwork sales Galería de la Raza has officially kicked off our new program Studio 24 Presents to warm reception. Inaugural artist Viviana Paredes’s works in Studio 24, on view now through the end of May, stem from a deep sense of belonging to something greater than the self. Paredes explores the disconnect modern society has with nature and the delicate interrelationships present in the natural world through her art-making process. Influenced by her grandmother Petra, a native of Chihuahua, México, Paredes was exposed to the ancient tradition of Curanderismo (a holistic healing practice that uses medicinal plants to aid physical and spiritual ailments), and this alternative method of healing is prevalent in her work as a multidisciplinary artist with a focus on sculpture and glass. Studio 24 Presents is a series of window installations and displays by local artists in our administrative offices. The program, providing an opportunity for artists to interact with the general public, also offers another point of entry into the organization apart from Galería’s exhibitions. See pricelist >> View works online >> _________________________________________________________________________
	IN THE COMMUNITY Galería at the San Francisco International Film Festival Friday, April 26 & Monday, April 29 Sundance Kabuki Cinemas Anything but expected. The San Francisco International Film Festival returns April 25-May 9, and Galería de la Raza co-presents After Lucia. After his wife’s death in a car accident, Roberto moves to Mexico City with his teenage daughter Alejandra. While father and daughter are inherently close, their repressed grief and lack of communication threatens to unhinge them when Ale becomes the victim of brutal bullying at school. For tickets & to learm more about the film >> Trailer >> *Cesar Chavez La Causa* A shadow play Friday, May 3 10am & 11:30am Everett Middle School and Shadow Light Productions presents Cesar Chavez La Causa, a performance starring the students of Everett Middle School on 16th and Church. Visiting schools and community members are invited to the 35 minute show in honor of the farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist, who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association. 10am show time for visiting schools, and 11:30am show time for Everett students, parents, and community members. For more information, please call (415) 241-6344. Baile en la Calle: The Mural Dances A family-friendly event for Cinco de Mayo Sunday, May 5 11:30am Starting at Brava Theater Center, take a guided walking tour by Precita Eyes of the landmark Mission District mural paintings on the lower 24th Street corridor. Experience five mural sites with live dance performances - from traditional to modern dance - featuring Cuicacalli Dance Company, Epiphany Productions, Loco Bloco, and more, all culminating at Galería in front of our billboard on Bryant and 24th Street corners. Tours leave at 11:30am, 1:15pm, 1pm, and 1:45pm. For more info >> __________________________________________________________________________
	Galería programs are made possible by the generous support of: The San Francisco Arts Commission; Grants For the Arts/Hotel Tax Fund; The California Arts Council, a state agency; the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; The James Irvine Foundation; The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; the National Association for Latino Arts and Culture - NALAC Fund for the Arts/Nescafé Clásico; The San Francisco Foundation, The Zellerbach Family Fund; and Galería members. Blog • Facebook • Flickr • Twitter