Latino Arts Galleries In California Suffering Financial Woes

La Raza Galeria Posada, a Sacramento forum for Latino arts could be shut down soon due to budget cuts and other financial pressures while the recently inaugurated La Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Los Angeles struggles to attract visitors and raise funds.

The Northern California gallery, known for showcasing visual arts, dance, music, and film made by Latinos, originally opened in 1972 and according to the Sacramento Bee, is one of the oldest non-profits in the city and will soon shut its doors if it fails to raise $50,000. A recent article in the LA Times states that, despite starting off with a budget of $36 million in public funds and a splashy, celeb-studded inaugural event in April, the Southern California art and culture space is short $400,000 in terms of covering expenses for this year.

As reported in the Sacramento Bee, La Raza Galeria Posada is important to the community considering:

If the organization were to close its doors, it would leave a gaping hole in the fabric of Latino arts nonprofits in Sacramento, said Tere Romo, a former curator and executive director at the Galeria. Romo is credited in the late 1990s with adding the gallery component.

“The reality is that Latino artists do not get the kind of exposure they deserve,” Romo said. “And these are the kind of spaces that afford that first-time exhibition.

As for six month-old La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, the LA Times reports that everything seems to have gotten off to a bad start including staff cuts, executive mismanagement, low attendance in one of the largest Latino markets in the country, and complaints from unpaid contractors. Yikes.

Perhaps the center’s predicament was summed up best in the LA Times:

“La Plaza has gone through an unbelievably painful birth,” said L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina, the center’s primary backer. She remains optimistic but added: “It’s not going to be easy.”

It sure won’t be easy for either La Raza Galeria Posada or La Plaza to pull through in this economy, but we’re rooting for them.