STAND! 2023

Our Mission:The mission of La Plaza is to champion community heritage, strength, and resiliency through the activation of arts and culture as a pathway for community preservation and celebration.

School of Arts and Culture at MHP

Celebrate Black History Month with La Plaza, featuring a panel of four leaders.

School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza

The School of Arts and Culture at MHP (SOAC) and its Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute (MALI) commemorates Black History Month through its annual event, STAND! This year’s enriching theme, The Intersection of the Arts, Social Justice, and Activism highlights powerful conversations, insightful stories, and motivational speakers. Everyone is welcome to join us Friday, February 17, starting at 7:00 p.m. in the Pavilion. Tickets are free! MALI leverages an incredible variety of artistic, cultural, and subcultural expressions in one of the most ethnically diverse regions to develop and learn from arts and cultural leaders of color who inform and influence the region’s creative sector. MALI is a program of SOAC and is grounded in the belief that representation matters; community matters; and creativity matters. Friday’s panel includes four leaders in the arts community sharing experiences in their artistic and creative practices and organizations. The Intersection of the Arts, Social Justice, and Activism features Chike Nwoffiah, founder of Silicon Valley African Film Festival, Viera Whye, artistic director of Tabia African-American Theater Ensemble, Tshaka Campbell, Santa Clara County Poet Laureate, and Joy Hackett, Musician, and Event Producer. Get ready for dynamic dialogue, a chance to meet other artists, and mingle with new and old friends. Light refreshments will be available.About the School of Arts and Culture at MHP The School of Arts and Culture at MHP (SOAC) is a vibrant cultural institution in East San José. Founded in 2011, SOAC activates a vital local asset – the Mexican Heritage Plaza (La Plaza), a 6-acre, city-owned facility with an expansive plaza and theater. Annually, La Plaza hosts more than 150,000 people through its core programming. Its mission is to catalyze creativity and empower community. They do this by uplifting East San José’s rich diversity through authentic place keeping and relevant multicultural productions.About the Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute (MALI) Since 2011, MALI has been integrated into the programming of SOAC at MHP in East San José. MALI believes that the inclusion of cultural experiences can provide marginalized communities with a sense of power, authority, and influence to create change. The impact of MALI fills the need for leaders of color in the arts sector and community. Our network has extended to 138 artists; 24 are in director level positions, 22 are Small Business Owners, 12 are Artist Laureates, 5 are San Jose Cultural Ambassadors, 3 are Leigh Weimers emerging Artists, and 7 work in government.

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