Steven Lavine Hosts Panel ‘Hearing Latino Voices in Contemporary Culture’ at REDCAT

Clockwise from top-left: Rita Gonzalez, Rodrigo García, Jeff Chang and Diane Rodriguez. | Photo courtesy REDCAT

On Tuesday night at 8:30 pm, REDCAT and KPCC’s arts program The Frame present Hearing Latino Voices in Contemporary Culture, a panel discussion with influential cultural leaders, artists and thinkers, moderated by CalArts President Steven Lavine at REDCAT. The program will also be broadcasted live on KPCC 89.3 and live-streamed (below).

Participating panelists are: filmmaker and CalArts trustee Rodrigo García (Albert Nobbs,
 Nine Lives), LACMA Associate Curator Rita Gonzalez (Phantom Sightings: Art after the Chicano Movement), writer Jeff Chang (Who We Be: The Colorization of America), and Center Theatre Group Associate Artistic Director Diane Rodriguez. Topics of discussion include the underrepresentation of Latino work in the arts and entertainment community as well as the importance of ensuring that Latino voices are highlighted in cultural institutions. More from KPCC:

Even as Latino communities have long been essential parts of our society and culture, it seems that only recently national marketers and political pollsters have noticed that one-sixth of the U.S. population is of Latino or Hispanic heritage. Or that the United States is the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, trailing only Mexico.

This is 
old news in California, where Latinos constitute nearly 40 percent, and yet the demographic group remains vastly underrepresented in many sectors—including arts and culture institutions. Why
 is this the case and what can be done about it?

García, who has produced and directed dozens of feature films and television series, was a guest lecturer at CalArts last month for the School of Film/Video’s Guest Artist Workshop, taught by faculty Deborah LaVine and Jon Reiss.

Read more about each panelist on the REDCAT page.

Tune in Tuesday for the Livestream broadcast: