Plaza de la Raza
Plaza de la Raza Cultural Center for the Arts & Education is the only multidisciplinary community arts venue dedicated to serving the Eastside neighborhoods of Los Angeles, including Boyle Heights. Founded in 1970 by prominent labor, business and civic leaders as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, it offers affordable after-school, intergenerational arts education programs to nearly 5,000 children, teens and adults each year. Its mission is to foster enrichment of all cultures bridging the geographic, social, artistic, and cultural boundaries of Los Angeles, and beyond. Throughout the year, Plaza presents more than 500 classes (beginning to advanced) that are taught quarterly by local artists and performers in theater, dance, music, and the visual arts. In addition, the center attracts more than 25,000 visitors each year with its free cultural programs, and manages almost 300 community volunteers.
In 2013, Plaza de la Raza received a grant from ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program to support the Cultural Traditions Programming of the School of Performing and Visual Arts. Serving the communities of Lincoln Heights, El Sereno, and Boyle Heights, classes for the primarily Latino youth will include mariachi music lessons, folklorico dance, Aztec dance, son Jarocho instruction in music, song and improvisation, accordion/Conjunto lessons, traditional Mexican crafts, and altar making.