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A Festival of Culture on the Border |
 In
the beautiful setting of the southwest, Hispanic
culture is an everyday way of life. Not much thought
goes into the word “culture” or its meaning as it
relates to day-to-day activities. Culture is defined
as “the totality of socially transmitted behavior
patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other
products of human work and thought.”
For The International Hispanic Cultural Institute in
El Paso, Texas, the meaning of culture is embedded
so deep in their souls that they eat, drink, and
sleep it! In what is now their third year, this non-profit
agency has dedicated itself to developing innovative
and creative programs to promote cultural awareness
and provide avenues for expression through the arts.
The mission of the Institute is promoting the arts
and all aspects of culture and cultivating it
through youth. Directed by its board president,
Belen Robles, this organization works tirelessly to
plan events to accomplish their goals – and with
great success.
This year, the Institute will host ten days of
events from September 28 through October 8, 2006,
including a weekend festival at the El Paso
Convention and Performing Arts Center Plaza.
Musicians and entertainers from around the globe
will perform at the venue. There will also be
various food and vendor booths for the whole family
to enjoy.
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Winners of
the 2005 student arts competition |
A performer
at last year’s festival |
As the celebration continues through October 8,
artists from every medium of art and entertainment
will be featured at many venues in and around the El
Paso area. One of the main attractions will be
several musicians and caravans who travel throughout
Mexico during the summer. In alliance with the
Instituto Chihuahuense de la Cultura, in neighboring
Chihuahua, Mexico, several of these caravans will
travel between both cities to greatly expand the
cultural experience.
The culmination of the mission for the Institute
this year will be the popular student arts
competition, to be held November 13-18, 2006. The
juried competition features high school students in
various forms of artistic expression of Latino music
and dance. Numerous high school students from El
Paso, Rio Grande Valley, Southern New Mexico, Juarez
and other parts of Chihuahua, Mexico compete for
prizes, including trips and opportunities to perform
on Sabado Gigante in Miami, Florida and Disneyland
in California. The event is held at the Abraham
Chavez Theater in El Paso.
For dates, times and more information about these
events, go to the IHCII’s beautiful website,
www.ihcii.org, or
call the organization at (915) 838-7374. |
