Tia Chucha's Cafe Cultural


	CELEBRATE THE DAY OF THE DEAD DIA DE LOS MUERTOS with our special events & workshops! see more info

	JOIN OUR FREE YOUTH MUSIC PROGRAM! SEE CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

	THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING TIA CHUCHA'S! All I can say is a great big thank you to Angelinos from all over the LA area -- Chicanos, Mexicanos, Centro Americanos, but also African Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and European Americans -- who came out on a hot August evening on Sunday to help Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural, the nonprofit cultural space and bookstore that I helped create in the Northeast San Fernando Valley. Talk about celebrating community and culture! Like last year, we packed the house at the venerable John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood --despite the fact that UB-40 was playing at the Hollywood Bowl nearby (we could hear the applause and yells from the Bowl from where we were sitting). All the talent showed up on time and came through like the professionals they are. Tia Chucha's has had quite a summer so far of benefit events, music/art/writing/dance/theater workshops, Open Mic nights, literacy festivals, youth programming, and more. Today many independent bookstores, cultural spaces, and art galleries are being forced to close with high rents, high-end developments, and the vagaries of the marketplace. Early last year, Tia Chucha's was forced to move out of our Sylmar space when our landlords practically tripled our rent. We moved into a smaller space in Lake View Terrace to keep the momentum going. In the LA area alone we may be losing Self Help Graphics, Avenue 50 Studio, Acres of Books, and lately Antigua Cafe was forced to move. In the past few years we've seen the closing of the Midnight Special Bookstore, Luna Sol Cafe, Bohemias Books, 33 & a 1/3 Books, Carlota's Passion Art Gallery, Dutton's Bookstore, Under the Bridge Bookstore, and others. Tia Chucha's benefit is a big step toward keeping our space alive -- with the goal of finding a bigger and better permanent or semi-permanent space in a year or two. But it's also about safeguarding and expanding neighborhood arts, cultural spaces, workshops spaces, art galleries, and the ever vital independent bookstores. Again, thanks to the LA County Arts Commission, the Ford Theatres, the LA City Department of Cultural Affairs, all our donors and other funders, our amazing staff, board members, and volunteers, and all of Los Angeles --these are some great audiences. As a poet I agree with Walt Whitman--great poets need great audiences. This is true for other artists and truly community-based cultural institutions as well. c/s -Luis J. Rodriguez

	WHAT IS TIA CHUCHAS? Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural is a not-for-profit learning and cultural arts center. We support and promote the continued growth, development and holistic learning of our community through the many powerful means of the arts. The Centro provides a positive space for people to activate what we all share as human beings: The capacity to create, to imagine and to express ourselves in an effort to improve the quality of life for our community.
	Panta Rhea Foundation The Thrill Hill Foundation Individual Donors include: Bruce Springsteen, John Densmore, Adrienne Rich, Linda Susan Jackson, Mel Gilman, Jesus Trevino, David Sandoval, Richard Foos and Dave Marsh. Re-invest in your community & donate! Contributions like yours will help fund Tia Chuchas' new space! Donations are tax deductible! Online credit card donations can easily be made through Paypal, simply click on the icon below: