CreArte Latino Cultural Center awarded grant from Community Foundation of Sarasota County

Categories: Stories of Impact, BELONGING AND CULTURE: Cultural Development & the Arts,

The CreArte Latino Cultural Center has been selected to receive a $6,900 Community Impact Grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to support CreArte Latino’s many classes and workshops for adults, children and families.

The bilingual arts and education nonprofit serves as a creative hub for the growing Latino/Hispanic communities in Sarasota and Manatee counties. CreArte Latino’s mission is to connect Latinos/Hispanics and the community at large through arts and education opportunities and events.

“This empowering grant gives us the opportunity to expand our educational programming and reach more than 200 students,” said Carolina Franco, artistic director and president of CreArte Latino. "Children may not speak Spanish and they may have no idea about their culture. We want to bolster their pride and give them a direct experience of their rich heritage. We are deeply grateful to the Community Foundation to support us in this important mission.”

CreArte Latino Cultural Center’s schedule for 2022-23 includes the ongoing “Amigos Book Club” for adults and a new “Amigos Book Club” for children, both for Spanish speakers. In addition, there is an adult class in Spanish for English speakers called “Conversemos” and an adult class in English for Spanish speakers called “Let’s Talk in English.” Book clubs and language classes are all via the Zoom platform.

For in-person learning, the Center plans two Children’s Acting Workshops and a workshop in Music Making and Dance for Youth. For more information about CreArte Latino Cultural Center, 8251 15th St. E., Sarasota, visit creartelatino.org or CreArte Latino on Facebook.

See the original story, as it appeared in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune on June 9, 2022, here.

***Photo provided by CreArte Latino Cultural Center