16 minute read
Save the Date for the Latino Festivals in Iowa
By Nixson Benitez
With the Latino Heritage Month coming up there are many communities throughout Iowa and the Quad Cities that are hoping to bring back the Latino festivities once again post pandemic. Here are a couple of events that are coming up that should be marked on your calendar!
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AUGUST 6, 2021- DAVENPORT, IA-
A crowd favorite the Crooked Cactus Band will be coming to the Gypsy Highway Friday August 6th. Crooked Cactus is The perfect mix of Latin & Classic Rock! What sets them apart is their dynamic trumpet section and the ability to fuse Mexican and American music genres. Plan a fun night out with friends listening to great music and dancing; enjoy a few drinks and the food is excellent too! $5 Cover With great music and food this is an event not to be missed visit their Facebook page for more information.
AUGUST 15, 2021- DES MOINES,IA-
the Latino Heritage Festival will kick-off the festivities in a couple weeks at the Iowa State Fair when they bring the Andy William & The Nebraska All Star an AfroCuban Jazz Orchestra. Which will be a taste of what the Latino Heritage Festival has in store for the September 25-26 event in Downtown Des Moines. The orchestra is made up of musicians from all over the world like Cuba, Panama, Venezuela, Mexico and America, and they all reside in Nebraska and offer different styles of Cuban music such as Latin Jazz, Danzón, Guaracha,Cha Cha Cha, Guaguanco, and some American rhythm too. Also, always doing tributes to Buena Vista Social Club of Cuba. Andy William and Nebraska All Stars are here to unite the universal language of music and welcome the diversity of the world. They will be performing Sunday, Aug 15 at 7:00pm; this will take place at the Anne & Bill Riley Stage at the Iowa State Fair! A Celebración Latina and an event you don’t want to miss with the returning of the Iowa State Fair. For more information visit their website.
AUGUST 28, 2021- IOWA CITY, IA -
On August 28, 2021 the 9th annual Latino Fest Iowa City invites residents, organizations, and businesses to join them in celebrating the tradition that started a decade ago. Attendees will delight in delicious dishes from Latin America, browse and shop traditional craft vendors, observe traditional dances presented by local and regional dancers, and enjoy the exciting, upbeat live musical entertainment. Visitors will be immersed in a celebration of the vibrant Latino culture. The Latino Fest Iowa City will take place at 210 S Dubuque St, Iowa City, IA. This event will start at 12:00pm and end at 9:00pm. The event is open to the public, this is an event not to be missed! Visit the website for more information!
SEPTEMBER 11, 2021- WEST LIB-
ERTY, IA- West Liberty Fiesta Latina will be on September 11th. They will have great music and entertainment and great food available. It will be on September 11 from 10am to 9pm on 3rd Street (downtown) in West Liberty. The event is completely free.
SEPTEMBER 12, 2021- CEDAR
RAPIDS,IA - Get prepared on September 12 for El Festival Latino! There will be music, food, and this will be the 10th Anniversary of the Festival! So come join September 12 in celebration of Latin American Cultures. This will start at 9:00am and end at 5:00pm and is located at McGrath Amphitheatre 475 1st st SW Cedar Rapids, IA 52404. For more information visit their Facebook page.
SEPTEMBER 19, 2021- OTTUMWA,
IA- Viva Ottumwa an International festival with music, food and a celebration of the diversity in the community. There will be entertainment and performers across Iowa. This will take place at Jimmy Jones Shelter. There will be cultures from Africa, SE Asia, and the Philippines. This will take place on Sunday September 19th at 11am central time. For more information visit their Facebook page.
SEPTEMBER 25-26, 2021- DES
MOINES,IA- This year’s theme for the Iowa Latino Heritage Festival is is Living La Fiesta. Living La Fiesta is a spanglish sentence and invites the best both worlds of English and Spanish. This will take place September 25-26 at Western Gateway Park in Downtown Des Moines at 10:00am. For more information visit their Facebook page.
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021- ANKENY, IA
and DES MOINES, IA - Somos Amigos Concert: Sonia De Los Santos & The Okee Dokee Brothers September 23 – Ankeny Bandshell at Wagner Park at 6 pm September 24 – Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park (Des Moines) at 6 pm Grammy award winners The Okee Dokee Brothers join forces with Sonia De Los Santos for this bilingual concert including both old and new songs. Explore the musical traditions of North America as they illustrate the collective power of singing together. With an adventurous spirit and a common vision of peace and understanding, the concert encourages young and old to explore, dance, song, and laughter together. “These performances are a significant way for DMPA to collaborate with a vast array of artists, venues and communities,” said DMPA spokesperson, Jonathan Brendemuehl. “Our priority is to present vibrant live performances and we are delighted to bring these performances into neighborhoods across the metro.” For more information visit their website.
Don’t miss out on these amazing events with a lot of Latino talent. Stay tune for more updates at HolaIowa.com
The Quad Cities Ballet Folklorico at the 2019 Iowa Latino Heritage Festival in Des Moines, IA. Photo by Tar Macias / Hola Iowa
Justin Favela a LatinX Artist turns the Des Moines Art Center into an enormous Piñata
By Nixson Benitez
Justin Favela, a LatinX artist who created the exhibition, Central American at the Des Moines Arts Center wrapped their main gallery from top to bottom in the colorful texture of a piñata. Not only did Favela wrap the whole room, he also brought a giant slice of pizza to life and it hangs from the ceiling like a piñata. “When I was first thinking about this exhibition, farm workers are essential workers and I wanted to honor them. I was thinking about them full time for the show so here you have this agriculture landscape. It gets more abstract and kicks into the harvest and the center of the gallery; which is what Iowa is known about, which is the corn and all the photos that come from here and all the livestock.” said Favela, the artist. Favela is known for his murals, sculptures of lowriders, creating huge replicas of foods, desert landscapes, and all created in the style of gigantic piñatas Favela’s mother is from Guatemala and his father is Mexican, bringing him into two different worlds. In a lot of his exhibits, he explores both cultures and in this particular exhibition he highlighted the connections to Iowa. “When they walk into the building because it’s so much, like how long did they do it, how long did it take you, how much paper did you use, that’s usually the questions I usually get. Love seeing people’s reactions. Also love during the opening a lot of the people who helped out are here and I can see that they’re proud of the work that they also did.” said Favela. “I think, the love to experience joy in one’s work and a lot of times Latinx artists, in the United States, you’re expected to make art about trauma.” said Favela. However, the piñatas are meant to invoke memories of being a child. Favela tears down the walls to bring the world of a piñata into Des Moines, IA; everytime community members walk past the art, the paper mâché moves with the people as they create wind when they walk by, calling their attention. As Favela grew up in the United States, he explored how the mixture of cultures impacted many aspects of his life including his name. Favela remembers asking his mother why he was named Justin, an American name she couldn’t pronounce. “She responded,“ I don’t know Mijo, your tía said it was the most popular name the year you were born and so I gave it to you.” Many people in the Latinx community can relate when it comes down to having a mixture of identities. “I felt Guatemalteco my whole life, but in school I was like just another Mexican kid because that’s the default Latino in the southwest. When I went to high school and college I took on this “Okay I guess I am just going to be Mexican.’” said Favela. “I came here from the 80s and 70s and of course we had to work hard, but I also have been very privileged. I’ve also grown up in the United States, and I went to art school. The art world is my world now and so I am kinda this in-between artist. I am kinda expressing my own personal identity through my own artwork. I want to tell my family’s story and I want to also celebrate Latinx communities throughout the United States,” said Favela. Through his exhibit Favela explores his identities as well as how Iowa has influenced his work since arriving. For example, he was very inspired by the invention of the taco pizza so popular in Iowa. The pizza piñata took thirty volunteers, and weeks to create “This pizza was so fun to make and turned out even better than I expected.” said Favela The colorful exhibit took many hours to create and is based on the works found throughout the Art Center. He takes pride in being Latinx and bringing his work to Iowa because Latinx people aren’t often thought of for art “The value that many Latinos have is that at the end of the day if your body doesn’t hurt, did you even work? You need to be a hard worker to be seen as a valuable person, but I don’t think that’s true. I don’t have to break my back to have value,” said Favela. He continues “This show encompasses a lot of topics that I don’t explicitly tell viewers about. The concern is that I made this show for me and that comes to making a successful artwork when you’re making the work so personal that it becomes universal.” Favela aims to encourage youth in Iowa who want to become artists. “To the Brown and Black kids of Iowa I would say that a lot of times when we walk through museums we don’t really see ourselves, and so I hope when people see this exhibition, kids can see themselves being represented in an institution like this. If I was a kid and I saw a taco pizza piñata and an exhibition made of material that I related to; it would’ve given me the imagination even as a young kid to know that I could someday be an artist that shows in an institution like this that values my work and life.” said Favela. Favela has not only impacted the community with his work, but also many of the people in the Art Center because in every environment he works, he makes his work fun with laughs, smiles, and even excitement because he values the help. It takes a lot of work to create exhibitions and Favela had a lot of volunteers he wanted to keep happy and energized. Not a lot of artists set that tone. The Central American exhibit is in the Main Gallery at the Des Moines Art Center located at 4700 Grand Ave and is open to the public through October 24, 2021. Favela will be also doing a live virtual lecture talking more in detail about his work. Registration is free, and will take place August 19th, 2021 visit the website desmoinesartcenter. org for more information. Following right after Favela Family Fiesta will be launching on August 21, 2021. There will be games, music, and more! To learn more about the Favela Family Fiesta visit their website desmoinesartcenter.org.
To follow Favela’s story, he is on Instagram @FavyFav and to learn more about his past work visit his website JustinFavela.com
Justin Favela:Central American at the Des Moines Art Center. Photo by Tar Macias / Hola Iowa
Hola America News August 4, 2021
16 Zaragoza Construction a young company with a lot of experience
José Zaragoza owner of Zaragoza Construction of Marshalltown, IA.
Photo by Tar Macias / Hola Iowa By Anastassia Zvoryguina
Is your kitchen begging for a remodel? Does your leaky roof worry you that fall season will not be all fun and pumpkins, especially if it starts raining more and more? Don’t spend your nights worrying about potential home improvements, instead, pick up your phone and call Zaragoza Construction in Marshalltown, IA for a free estimate. Jose Zaragoza established Zaragoza Construction 6 months ago. Being a new kid on the block does not mean that Mr. Zaragoza does not have necessary experience and knowledge to do an exceptional job for his customers. Originally from Elgin, IL Mr. Zaragoza moved to Marshalltown,IA about 10 years ago. He is a graduate of Marshalltown High School and DMACC, holding a building trade certification. “After school I worked with different jobs to find which route to take in construction. I did concrete, framing, and house remodels. So, I have experience doing a lot of things,” said Mr.Zaragoza Mr. Zaragoza explained why he should not be overlooked by customers for being a newbie in the construction business. Mr.Zaragoza added that he worked in the construction industry for the past two years gaining experience and learning the ins and outs of the construction business. Before launching his company and while working with other construction companies Mr. Zaragoza was helping to rebuild after the Derecho storm that hit Iowa hard in August of 2020. “I helped fix a lot of homes that were damaged by the derecho while I was working with Travis Grammer at Grams construction...” said Mr. Zaragoza Mr. Zaragoza explained that his mentor helped him to reach his dream of becoming a business owner through his advice. Mr.Zaragoza continues “...he had a big part in showing me most of the things I know now and gave me guidance to be where I’m at today.” Zaragoza Construction specializes in siding, roofing, bathroom and kitchen remodels. Interested customers can reach Zaragoza for free estimates by calling (641) 758-5250. “You can also find us on Instagram @ ZaragozaLLC,” Zaragoza invited his potential customers to check out his social media account. Zaragoza Construction might be new in the construction industry, but it does not take away that the owner has necessary experience to do a great job for his customers. Zaragoza Construction might be the company you have been looking for that could finally fix that ugly bathroom that is screaming for improvement.
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Frida Kahlo: Through the Lens of Nickolas Muray
When: Thursday, August 12, from 4 – 7 p.m. Where: Muscatine Art Center, 1314 Mulberry Ave., Muscatine, Iowa Cost: Free Admission
Celebrate Latina art, music and food!
For details, visit muscatineartcenter.org or call 563-263-8282
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This exhibition provides an intimate look at Frida Kahlo, Mexico’s most prolific and well-known female artist, through the photographic lens of her long-time friend and lover, Nickolas Muray. In May 1931, American photographer Muray (1892–1965) traveled to Mexico on vacation, where he met Kahlo (1907–1954), a woman he would never forget. Approximately forty photographic portraits, dating from 1937 to 1946, comprise the exhibition. The photographs bring to light Kahlo’s deep interest in her Mexican heritage, her life and the people with whom she shared close friendship.
Sea parte de un equipo que ayuda a mejorar la vida de las personas. Contratación de fábrica de colchones para diversos puestos de producción y carga. Realizar tareas de montaje y / o carga de colchones. Paga inicial $13.00 / hora con oportunidad de avance. Bono de contratación de $500. Beneficios de salud elegibles después de 90 días, 401k con una generosa contribución de la compañía después de 6 meses. Solicite en persona en 2350 5th Street, Rock Island, IL 60015, llame al 309-788-0401, Ext. 0 pregunte por Scott o envíenos un correo electrónico a info@ thebeddinggroup.com.
Bring the Kids
Fun children's art activities, inspired by Kahlo's Mexican heritage, will be provided.
Listen to Music
Music presented by Tiny’s Tunes.
Grab a Bite
The first 100 guests will receive a FREE coupon that applies towards the event’s taco truck!
Event partners:
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion – Muscatine
Funded by Racial Justice Grant of Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine
It is the policy of Eastern Iowa Community College District not to discriminate in its programs, activities, or employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, creed, religion, and actual or potential family, parental or marital status, as required by the Iowa Code §§216.6 and 216.9, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d and 2000e), the Equal Pay Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 206, et seq.), Title IX (Educational Amendments, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1688), Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794), and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq.). If you have questions or complaints related to compliance with this policy, please contact Debora J. Sullivan, Equal Employment Opportunity Officer/Equity Coordinator, Eastern Iowa Community College District, 101 West Third Street, Davenport, Iowa 52801, 563-336-3487, djsullivan@eicc.edu or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 West Madison Street, Suite 1475, Chicago, Illinois 60661-7204, phone number 312730-1560, fax 312-730-1576, OCR.Chicago@ed.gov.
