Arte Americas

Arte Américas is a cultural arts and education center, concert venue, and gallery-space with a mission to create a flourishing place for Latino arts in the San Joaquin Valley. Arte Américas is the Valley's largest non-profit Latino cultural center with over 10,000 square feet of gallery, performance, meeting and classroom spaces. Our exhibits and events are culturally educational and family-friendly; featuring local and international artists whose talents celebrate the eclectic variety of cultural artforms:

• Visual Arts: every few months, we debut a new exhibits (or set of exhibits) in our galleries. Artists range from traditional/folkloric to avant-garde
• Dance: Classes and performances by flamenco, folklorico and modern dance ensembles
• Literary Arts: Workshops and featured presentations by poets, authors, writers and novelists that celebrate and educate the community about the Latin cultural experience

We also host a summer concert series, NIGHTS IN THE PLAZA. Enjoy music under the stars in a beautifully landscaped outdoor venue that measures half a city block. For over twenty-five years Arte Américas has featured an eclectic variety of Latino poets, filmmakers, photographers and artists from traditional and non-traditional mediums. Our partnerships in our immediate neighborhood and surrounding community ranges from Girl Scout troops to civic and community groups.

We especially take pride in being a true Community Hub and key stakeholders in Fresno's Cultural Arts District. Arte Américas is an acclaimed community benefit organization and the largest Latino cultural center in the Central Valley of California.

In 1987, we began our operation in a rented one-room office in a storefront on Fulton Street. Through the dedication and persistence of thousands of volunteers, Arte Américas is one of the key stakeholders in the burgeoning Cultural Arts District of Downtown Fresno. Arte Américas purchased its current building in 1995 and shortly thereafter acquired an adjoining acre of land which now houses the Plaza.

Our building boasts over 10,000+ square feet of multi-purpose space. Some of the key features of our indoor space are:

• Three galleries with rotating exhibits and installations
• Meeting rooms for small or large groups
• Classroom space / Dance Classroom
• Two gift shops
• Latino literature and history library
• Industrial serving kitchen area
• A museum-space within our cultural center: The Fresno Art Museum Partnership Gallery

What We Offer:

• Art shows and exhibits
• Children's and adult theater classes
• Nights in the Plaza: a summer concert series in our huge outdoor venue. The plaza spans half a city block and features an elegant Grand Kiosko and large-scale concert mainstage.
• Mother's Day Celebration that has grown to a sprawling, sold-out, 700+ attendee gala event year after year.
• A partnership with the Girl Scouts to create the Arte Américas Biligual Troop (La Tropa Bilingue.) Meetings are held in Spanish and English in our center's classroom space.
• Literary events including readings, poetry slams and spoken word showcases.
• Workshops on toy making, bead-work, ceramics, folklorico dancing, papercrafts, and other disciplines that celebrate the many cultures of the Américas!
• Meeting and reception space for dozens of community/grassroots organizations.

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