CreArte Latino Cultural Center Presents NUESTRA COMUNIDAD Beginning in May

CreArte Latino has announced a new informational series called "Nuestra Comunidad" (Our Community). The program, which starts on May 17, features a series of monthly presentations and community dialogues concerning topics of interest to the local Latinx community. The program is facilitated by Claudia Lozano, a prize-winning poet and psychotherapist. "Nuestra Comunidad" was made possible by a $5,000 grant from the Gould Family Trust Foundation at Gulf Coast Community Foundation. The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is also a sponsor of the program. "Nuestra Comunidad" will be held on the third Wednesday of each month, at 7:30 p.m., from May through December. Admission is $5 per session. For more information, visit Click Here or call 941-732-7191.

"CreArte Latino is a meeting place for the Latinx/Hispanic community and informing our patrons about community resources available to them is part of our mission to educate and serve," says Carol Hartz, CreArte's executive director.

According to Hartz, speakers for the series will include representatives from local nonprofits and civic and governmental agencies. Each session will be followed by a Q&A in Spanish.

Hartz explains that the program will launch with a presentation from Healthy Families and Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY). She adds that the CreArte team is deeply grateful for the support of Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

"Conversations with native Spanish speakers about our local area strengthens connections with the larger community and better orients new community arrivals," says Hartz. "We're honored that both Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of Sarasota recognize the importance of programs like this."

Claudia Lozano is a prize-winning poet who alternates her interest in literature with her career as a psychotherapist with the local nonprofit Step Up Suncoast. Her work has been recognized in Miami, West Palm Beach and Broward and Palm Beach counties. Lozano joined CreArte Latino four years ago and facilitates its popular online Amigos Book Club that brings together Spanish-speaking adults interested in reading and discussing Latinx/Hispanic books.

For more information about CreArte Latino Cultural Center, visit Click Here or CreArte Latino on Facebook or call 941-732-7191.

About Gulf Coast Community Foundation

Headquartered in Venice, Fla. and with a second office in downtown Sarasota, Fla., Gulf Coast Community Foundation has transformed the region through bold and proactive philanthropy for over 25 years. Serving the needs of the region as a partner in philanthropy and leader in community initiatives, Gulf Coast has surpassed granting $510 million in the areas of: health and human services, civic and economic development, education, arts and culture, and the environment. Gulf Coast was named one of the "Best Nonprofits To Work For" nationally by The NonProfit Times in 2010, 2011, 2017, 2020, 2021, and 2023. To learn more visit GulfCoastCF.org and follow us on Facebook at @GulfCoastCommFnd.

About CreArte Latino Cultural Center

CreArte Latino was founded in 2012 as a creative hub for the Latinx/Hispanic community in Sarasota and Manatee counties, producing plays in Spanish. In 2017, CreArte Latino became a 501(c)3 nonprofit and changed its name to CreArte Latino Cultural Center, expanding its programming. The organization seeks to forge a bilingual cultural exchange between Latinos/Hispanics and the community at large through the arts and education, including theater productions, books clubs, classes, workshops and collaborations with artists from the area and throughout Latin America. CreArte Latino Cultural Center is located at 8251 15th St. East, Suite I, Sarasota. Visit Click Here and CreArte Latino on Facebook.