With support from the California Arts Council, LA Plaza will be able to send its curatorial team to the California Association of Museums 2021 Annual Conference. Participation enables our early career curatorial team to develop skills and networks necessary to become well rounded museum professionals. Learning outcomes will focus on developing skills such as community outreach, fundraising and visitor experience. Resources and content will be shared with all staff to support collaboration.
LA Plaza is the first museum and cultural organization dedicated to promoting Mexican and Mexican American heritage in Los Angeles. The museum’s offerings include: permanent and temporary exhibitions on art, history and contemporary topics all rooted in social justice and related to the local Latino community; a year-round series of 80-plus free programs which include culinary arts, music, discussions, film screenings, and dance; and educational programs for children and families which include a garden and culinary program, library cultural awareness program, and a mobile garden and culinary program. LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes serves approximately 110,000 visitors annually, including 8,500 students. LA Plaza’s robust education programming includes school tours for students, 98% of whom attend Title I schools, exploring themes rooted in identity, social justice, health and nutrition, community, and civil rights. We provide free transportation to LA Plaza for Title I schools. We provide curriculum-based engagement that adheres to California education requirements for grades K-12 and provide an experiential learning component with hands-on workshops and educational resources. We also take our programs on the road to reach youth in under-resourced neighborhoods, reducing barriers and providing an essential educational service to disadvantaged communities. Our bilingual, culturally sensitive staff present content and stories that allow people to discover the rich origins, present influences, and future promise of Latinos in the region.

