***Watch the news conference on YouTube***

PROVIDENCE – Mayor David N. Cicilline joined community leaders to kick off

the Providence Latino CommUNITY Celebration, a unified celebration of local activities as part of the national observation of Hispanic Heritage Month.  Mayor Cicilline announced the lineup for the month-long celebration in front of La Plaza del Arte y Las Culturas, a colorful mural by master muralist Augustín Patiño in South Providence.

“I’m thrilled to kick off a month of exciting cultural events that celebrate the rich and lasting contributions of the Latino community to our city, our state and our nation,” said Mayor Cicilline.

The Providence Latino CommUNITY Celebration is a collaboration between Mayor Cicilline, the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture + Tourism, the Latino CommUNITY Celebration Planning Committee, and nearly two dozen local arts and cultural organizations.  The partners came together to showcase the art, culture, and history of the city’s diverse Latino community.

Providence Latino CommUNITY Celebration events include a Chilean Independence Day Celebration, art exhibits, Latino Friday Night Karaoke, Latino Movie Nights, Peruvian Festjo & Marinera dances, Argentinean Tango, Salsa Social, children’s poetry and book readings.

The Planning Team is composed of Elena Calderon-Patiño of Patiño Art Studio, Jose Torrealba of the Providence Latin American Film Festival, Marta Martinez of the Hispanic Heritage Committee/ Rhode Island, and Betty Bernal of Centro Cultural Andino. In addition to the activities affiliated with the Planning Team, participating organizations include the Chilean Independence Day Celebration, New Urban Arts, Providence Public Library, Providence Community Libraries, Gallery DEMI, the Manton Avenue Project, local churches, universities, and businesses.

Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration of Hispanic Americans’ contributions to the United States, their heritage, and culture. The national observation started in 1968 as a weeklong event under President Lyndon Johnson. Twenty years later, President Ronald Regan expanded the program.

The Mayor kicked off the month-long celebration in front of a mural by master muralist Agustín Patiño.  Patiño created La Plaza del Arte y Las Culturas, a 140’ x 22’ work of art, to “raise awareness about ecological, community and educational issues, and above all, to talk about human and social values in harmony with the ecosystem.”  The mural represents the rich cultures and ethnic groups that call our community home.  Providence artist Augustín Patiño earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Painting and Printmaking from Central University of Ecuador.  His paintings are in private and corporate collections in Europe, the United States, and Latin America.  Patiño has painted public art murals in locations throughout Ecuador, Chile, and the United States. This is his first mural in Providence.

For a complete list of Providence Latino CommUNITY Celebration events, Visit www.hispanicheritageri.org.

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