Creative Arts
About ¡CelebrARTE!
¡CelebrARTE!
is a Casita Maria Creative Arts Program with three theme-based seasons per year. Each season provides an opportunity for Casita Maria after-school program participants, their families and caregivers, and the larger community to see themselves reflected in the work and celebrate cultural pride. Through the arts, we celebrate the communities we serve and aim to foster a resilient ecosystem of self expression, creativity and scholarship. There is mounting evidence that engagement in arts and culture can significantly improve quality of life, leading to higher academic achievement, civic engagement, and economic activity. Our programming and the artists we showcase are a testament to the transformative power of the arts.
To ensure our programming is culturally relevant, we select social justice themes informed by and reflective of the communities of the South Bronx. Artists are selected based on their high quality of work, understanding of the community and eagerness to share an experience that has multiple points of entry for all aged viewers. We encourage interactive components when possible and appropriate for the specific discipline. Bronx artists are featured during the South Bronx Culture Trail Festival each spring while the rest of the year we invite artists from around the world to share their stories.
¡CelebrARTE!
programs include: exhibitions; gallery receptions; book clubs; artist talks; panel discussions; workshops; film screenings; spoken word; open mic; crafting and healing circles; plus theatrical, musical and dance performances. We host programs in our auditorium and gallery at Casita Maria along with out of doors events in public spaces and local businesses.
At Casita Maria we are telling a new story as a form of resistance by creating the future we want to see, filled with resiliency, inclusion, and cultural pride.
