Update from Guatemala
media release: The Division of the Arts is partnering with UW–Madison Latin American Caribbean and Iberian Studies program (LACIS), Overture Center for the Arts, Dane Arts and Willie Ney Productions to introduce “Arts Together in Community,” an exciting new initiative between campus and community partners featuring artists, scholars and community members engaged in dialogue, performance and networking toward collaboration. Building upon the success of previous Arts Together events on campus, this partnership underscores the Division of the Arts' commitment to extending outreach and collaboration with community partners.
The goal is to bring diverse groups together to share collaborative ideas and explore the role of the arts in our city and beyond. The Division of the Arts aims to foster new connections within the Madison arts community and connect emerging community and campus arts leaders.
“It’s a brilliant initiative by our new outreach and engagement coordinator, Kayla McGhee. It effectively brings campus and community together in organic ways and is designed to be the spark for so much more partnership around access to the arts,” says Chris Walker, Director of the Division of the Arts
The inaugural event will feature an unplugged musical showcase by Tito Medina and a dialogue with him and Dr. Sara McKinnon, Faculty Director of LACIS on his career and the current situation facing his homeland of Guatemala. A reception with heavy appetizers will follow. The event is free to attend, and registration is required as space is limited.
Email Kayla at outreach@arts.wisc.edu to learn more about this initiative and to explore ways your organization can partner with the UW–Madison Division of the Arts.
Time: 5:30–6:45 p.m. Conversation with Dr. Sara McKinnon and Tito Medina, 6:45–7:45 p.m. Reception and Food
Location: Overture Center for the Arts, Rotunda Studio (201 State St, Madison, WI 53703)
Registration Link: https://form.jotform.
Tito Medina is an internationally renowned Guatemalan singer songwriter and Mayan Mestizo cultural activist who was a pioneer of the protest song movement in his country and one of the founders of the New Song Movement in Latin America. Tito was a founding member of the Central American All Stars that performed in the US in 1999 and 2000. In 2021, Tito became the first recipient of the Life Achievement Award created by the Latin American Canadian Council in Canada.