BALTIMORE — For the past year, the Casa de la Cultura gallery has been celebrating the diversity of Latino culture in Baltimore. It's the only space like it in Maryland, celebrating Latino culture specifically.
Now the unique Highlandtown-based nonprofit is marking its first anniversary with a big party this Saturday.
It will feature the unveiling of a poignant new mural from Mexican artist Came Moreno.
The vibrant mural took three weeks to make and features birds to represent immigration and freedom, as well as flags from the many countries represented by Latino Baltimore.
Angelo Solera is the founder and executive director of Nuestras Raices ("Our Roots"). The organization has put on Fiesta Baltimore for the past five years, and also runs the new Casa de la Cultura.
The title of the mural is, 'We Are Baltimore.' because i've lived in Baltimore for 44 years. There are 60,000 Latinos, probably more than that today, living in Baltimore, so this is like a statement to say, 'We are here; we want to make that statement in our Casa de la Cultura.'
The free, public block party on Aug. 12 will run from noon to 7 p.m., at 3403 Gough Street.
There'll be live music from Bad Hombres and DJ Godfather, a special presentation by "La Lily" food, arts and crafts, and performances by local folkloric groups Danza Folklórica Latina, Uruguayos de Maryland, Juventud Latina, Comparsa de Chinelos Orgullo Morelense and Danza Alegria.
Solera said Casa de La Cultura, and all of Nuestras Raices, is hoping to "change the narrative about the Latino community in Baltimore City."
All of us are not Mexican. All of us don't eat tacos. All of us are not illegal aliens and so forth. We also want to reconnect Latinos to their culture, so Casa de la Cultura offers that space.
