How the Diamante Arts & Cultural Center shines a spotlight on Latino culture
This article was written on behalf of our sponsor, Whitley Law Firm.
The Diamante Arts & Cultural Center is one of the most important cultural institutions in North Carolina. The center's Executive Director, Lizette Cruz Watko, founded it to showcase the Latino community's diversity in North Carolina. The center offers classes, lectures, documentary showings, movie nights, and various other programs that celebrate Latino culture. Having been around for 27 years, the organization began when there was only a small Latino population in the state; now, it totals over 1 million people.
As the oldest Latino arts and cultural institution in North Carolina, Diamante is designed to explore the diversity of the Latino community. The organization began with awards created to recognize the achievements within the Latino community in North Carolina. The awards are unique because it's a public nomination process with awards in art and culture, education, business, community involvement, health and science, and Latino advocacy. This award hopes to highlight the community to eradicate some misconceptions about the community. In addition to these six awards, the center gives an award to youth, based on their community involvement, and there is also a lifetime achievement award.
The center's mission is to "preserve the Latin American experience and advance the understanding of Latin American art and culture," said Watko. To this end, the center hosts many events throughout the year that celebrate different aspects of Latino culture. The Three Kings’ Day Parade is one of the oldest in the country and one of the center's longest-running events where you can experience the diversity of the Latino community while helping families in need.
Another popular event at the Diamante Arts & Cultural Center is the Ritmo Latino Festival. This event celebrates all aspects of Latino culture, from music and dance to food and art. The festival also features several vendors selling traditional Latin American crafts and goods. The Diamante Arts & Cultural Center also has a gallery that showcases works by North Carolina Latino artists. The gallery is open to the public, and anyone is free to come in and view the art on display and visit the working artists’ studios.
Growing Arts in the Community
The Diamante Arts & Cultural Center also features classes and workshops. For children, these classes help to foster a love of the arts and provide them with positive role models. "The community reaction to having these opportunities have been wonderful," Watko said. "We've always had support from the general community."
With only two part-time employees, Diamante Arts & Cultural Center relies heavily on donations and volunteers. As one of their main supporters, Whitley Law Firm, based out of Raleigh, is excited to see the growth in the arts and cultural center. "As our Hispanic community grows in North Carolina, we wanted to get involved with an organization that really fosters the Hispanic culture. As people move to the state, especially if they're immigrating, they’ve lost that feeling of home," Ben Whitley said. “Within any immigration population, there tends to be distrust or not knowing of institutions. Law firms and the legal system can be intimidating, unapproachable institutions. By supporting an organization that fosters culture and community, we want to show the Hispanic community that we’re supporting them in a sustainable way.”
“We’re trying to fulfill a dream of the community,” added Watko. If you would like to consider donating to the Diamante Arts and Cultural Center, donations go towards the different programs they offer and help keep the lights on and the doors open.
This article was written on behalf of our sponsor, Whitley Law Firm.
