El florecimiento de nuestro movimiento is the Centro Cultural de la Raza’s theme coming into its fifty-two years of existence. Marking a new fire, un nuevo fuego, a regenerative cycle, the Centro’s pillar captures the historical florecimiento of its multidisciplinary arts focus. Founded alongside Chicano Park, the Centro has maintained its commitment to preserving, promoting, and producing the arte, cultura, and cultural ways of knowing of our Indigenous, Mexicano and Chicano roots. It is with this foundation that we embrace the energy of movimento forward.

Embedded throughout the imagery of the inaugural pillar is la tierra and the natural elements. La tierra reminds us of our first mother. Like the florecimiento of the flora and fauna, the earth provides subsistence when we tend to it, fortifying our spiritual connection to land and place. The Centro Cultural de la Raza in its historical connection and co-creation to Chicano Park has also been a place of grounding en la tierra y florecimiento for many who have come through its doors as creators of multidisciplinary artistic expressions, supporters, volunteers, students, and scholars, just to name a few. Today’s projects, some of which are representatively wrapped around the pillar, embrace the historic vision of the Centro while nurturing a creative artistic space motivated by intergenerational exchange.

The vision that the Centro Cultural would once connect to Chicano Park both literally and metaphorically, is reinforced with the images interlaced throughout the sides of the pillar. They are reminders of the Centro’s legacy. Tetzcatlipoca, manifested as the obsidian mirror, marked above in the sky, guides our reflection in recognizing our foundational strength yet incomplete and potential journey. The central image of the drummers partnered with the painting of the Centro’s inaugural murals, is the commencement to the ceremony. Singing, drumming, praying while creating in the form of mural paintings, dancing Bomba, offering Danza Azteca, enacting teatro performances, or singing along with a rondalla composition, are the florecimiento de las semillas planted a fire cycle ago.The Centro Cultural de la Raza is honored to have been invited to participate in this inaugural exhibit. In this joint endeavor, the Centro recognizes que somos el flor y el canto de nuestra bella comunidad and in unity will thrive another fifty – two beautiful years. Ometeotl, All our relations.

• All the resident groups at The Centro Cultural de las Raza, facilitated by board membership.

Centro Cultural De La Raza CommitteeArtists & Contributing Members: 

• Eva Sandoval

                                                                             Maria Figueroa VP, Centro Cultural de la Raza                                                                                        [email protected]