Please join us tomorrow, Friday, February 24th, at the Latino Cultural Center, where LiA co-chairs Lorena Toffer and Celi Sims will be part of this provocative panel discussion, and will relate the way our AIA Dallas Latinos in Architecture Committee has been growing not only in the Architecture community, but in the community at large since the committee was founded in 2010.
At the first panel, the value of creativity and cultural expression from a parents’ perspective will be discussed. What is important for our children and their parents as it relates to arts and arts learning.
The second panel will respond with consideration of their organization and city resources. How are community centers, teaching artists, schools, and museums providing the right type of creative and cultural programs in our communities? What is available or not fully being utilized?

Bridging the Arts,Culture and Community
Friday,
February 24
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Latino Cultural Center
2600 Live Oak St,
Dallas TX 75204

Welcome
Benjamin Espino,
City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, Latino Cultural Center Director
Erin Offord,Big Thought, Community Engagement Director

Panel 1: Value of Art in Children’s Education
Viola Delgado, Master Artist
Daisy Cano, MSSW, Program Director, AVANCE Dallas
Dulce Isalguez Parker Executive Director and Cultural Educator Making Connections,Inc.
Cheryl Mayo, West Dallas Community Centers, Executive Director

Panel 2: Arts and Culture: Community Resources
Ronnie Jessie , Programs Administrator, Dallas Public Library
Benjamin Espino,City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs,
Latino Cultural Center Director
Elva Perez, Big Thought,Community Engagement Specialist
Celi Sims, Lorena Toffer, AIA Dallas/Latinos in Architecture
Maria Teresa G.Pedroche Head of Family Experiences/Community Engagement Dallas Museum of Art

Q & A from the audience
Mary Hernandez, Big Thought, Community Engagement Specialist

As part of the countless special events in preparation for the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge Celebration,
LiA is partnering with the Latino Cultural Center, Big Thought and the Dallas Center for Architecture bringing you:

Thriving Minds Family Day at the Latino Cultural Center
Día de la Familia Thriving Minds en el Centro Cultural Latino

2600 Live Oak St., 75204

Saturday, February 25th / Sabado, 25 de Febrero
11:00 am - 4:00pm (LiA activities will run from 1-4pm)


Enjoy a fun filled day of activities for the entire family!
Activities will include :

· reading circle
· art workshops
· make& take craft stations
· guest speakers
· dance lessons
· recycling and water conservation ideas
· Performances from students in Big Thought’s Thriving Minds After School Programs.

All activities are free and open to the public, on a first come-first served basis

Schedule of Activities (subject to change)

TMAS Performances
· 11:00A – 12:00P - Spoken Word/Script Reading (WDCC- Bataan / McMillan)
· 12:30P – 2:00P - Food Tasting
· 1:00P – 2:00P – La Rondalla (OC3)
· 2:00P - 3:00P –Jazzy Stallions ( Stemmons Elem.) / Spoken Word Café (Rice Elem.)
· 3:00P – 4:00P – Dance Lesson (flash mob)

Main Gallery
· 11:30 AM – 12:00P - Reading Circle
· 12:30PM – 1:00PM –Reading Circle
· All Day - Origami Butterfly

Multipurpose Room
· 11:30A - 12:30P – Hand Thrown Clay Vessel Workshop
· 1-4 pm – Bridge Building w/Lego’s (Latinos in Architecture)
· 1-4pm – Drawing/Sketching/Watercolor workshop (Latinos in Architecture)
· 3:00P – 4:00P - Dance Lesson (flash mob)

Other Activities
· All Day - Water Conservation
· All Day - Recycling

Disfrute de un día divertido, lleno de actividades para toda la familia.
Las actividades incluyen:
· Circulo de lectura
· Talleres de arte
· Manualidades
· Presentadores invitados
· Clases de Baile
· Ideas para conservar el agua y para reciclar
· Presentaciones de alumnos del programa de Big Thought -Thriving Minds
Todas las actividades son gratuitas y están abiertas al público, mientras se agoten existencias.

From left to right: 2011 Co-chair Jimmy Castellanos, 2012 Co-chair Celi Sims, 2012 Co-chair Lorena Toffer, 2011 Co-chair Yesenia Blandon.

At our last LiA meeting of the year, we introduced Celi Sims (Rees Associates, Inc. ) and Lorena Toffer (Corgan Associates, Inc) as the AIA Dallas Latinos in Architecture Committee 2012 Co-chairs.
They are both an excellent example of professional commitment and dynamism and we are looking forward to another great year for LiA under their leadership.

Congratulations to both of them!

Last week, LiA members visited Moises E. Molina HS, Pinkston HS, and Skyline HS!

We surely exceeded our goals for this year collecting 546 books and over 700 architectural magazines!
Thank you very much to each of you who donated a book or has volunteered time to this program; Your donation will provide local educational institutions with an architectural library, supporting education, creating awareness of architecture and art and raising exposure of our profession as a career path. THANK YOU!

Special thanks to the Bookshelf Leaders at the architecture firms, that donated their time and effort to make the program known, and successfully collected so many books, to the Comex Group for sponsoring this year’s book drive and to everyone that participated.

Our two beneficiary schools will be L.G. Pinkston High School (West Dallas) and Moisés E. Molina High School (Oak Cliff).
We will be updating you on the distribution of the books.

As you now, LiA is currently running the bookdrive program:
Help us develop an Architecture library for a local school. Donate a book TODAY!

And now that we are talking books, we'll like to share the following:

"20 Beautiful Novels for Architecture Students": http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2011/20-beautiful-novels-for-architecture-students/

“20 Educational Architecture Books Anyone Can Enjoy”:

http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2011/20-educational-architecture-books-anyone-can-enjoy/

Have a good reading and remember, you can take your book donation to the Dallas Center for Architecture!