There's an old African proverb that translates into "it takes a village to raise a child." This simple adage also relates to music and the arts, because it takes a whole village to present various art forms. In Progress... has aimed to highlight different women making great waves behind the scenes in the Latin music arena. Behind the actual artist singing that beautiful bolero or playing the trumpet lie numerous folks working as a collective to make sure this art form is exposed. Among these doers are extremely talented women filling in the role as music publishing executives, internet company owners, and for this issue's installation, Josefina "Josie" Aguilar, co-owner of the popular bookstore/coffee house, Expresso Mi Cultura, in Hollywood.
You might be wondering how Josie fits into the whole gamut of music tastemakers. Well, have you ever walked into an eclectic neighborhood coffee shop for a quick caffeine fix? If it's a good place, there's usually great music in the background, or better yet, a local band strumming their acoustic guitars next to the expresso machine. Josie's well-known establishment offers both examples, along with a myriad of great literature, artwork, and space where up and coming artists of all kinds can collaborate and show off their work. It's a business venture that's allowed this enterprising woman to offer not just a great locale to hang out in, but a space where culture and ideas become widely shared and easily accessed. As a proud L.A. native (East L.A. to be exact), this Chicana is actually an Urban Planner by trade, having worked in housing development for low-income families. Aguilar is a graduate of UCLA's prestigious Urban Planning program and worked for the city of Santa Barbara as its city planner right before she opened Espresso Mi Cultura with a partner. Questioned as to how she went from city planning to cultivating a bookstore's inventory, she freely echoes what many artists state when asked why they do their craft, "you're searching for whatever it is that makes you happy, what feeds your soul." What satisfied her interest was bringing forth a place where she could be surrounded by things that held great meaning to her: good literature, profound artwork, and connection with different types of people. "It's part of our history, to find a place where people can congregate and exchange ideas, work together and be exposed to different things together." A great part of these exchanges come between musicians and shop patrons. This haven allows independent and upcoming artists to come in and show off their music for a very open-minded crowd. Aguilar and company welcome the idea of having musicians, some of whom don't have the capacity to rock big-time venues, to share their talents to an eclectic crowd. The booktore even offers a different array of music selections, some of which are releases by the very performers who have graced Espresso's makeshift performance space.
Expresso Mi Cultura's success has been highlighted through numerous media outlets, but much of the notoriety comes from word of mouth. Aguilar is sincere in wanting to offer her community a place where progressive ideas can be fostered and cultivated. She is busy working on establishing a non-profit arm for the shop, hoping to generate funding to offer even more space and opportunities for artists in the community. Aguilar envisions generating grants to get appropriate stage equipment, budget for marketing and local advertising, stipends for performers, and wider outreach to a bigger audience. She visualizes creating a bigger synergy between culture and art and a community that feeds on it. Music and its players come from all walks. In the midst of Josie Aguilar's reality came a vision called Espresso Mi Cultura that offers so much more than books and coffee. It is through this type of place and idea that visionaries and works of art come together. It is through innovative minds and amassed passion--such as Josefina Aguilar's--where these ideas come into fruition.
Quick Facts:
Name: Josephina "Josie" Aguilar
Present Projects:
* Espresso Mi Cultura will be part of CHICANO NOW: AMERICAN EXPRESSIONS, a huge art exhibit focusing on Chicano art and culture. For more information, check out the website: http://www.bbhinc.net/chicano.html
Location: 5625 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywod, CA 90028
Bookstore: 323-461-0808
Coffeehouse: 323-466-0481
e-mail: XicanoBks@aol.com
Website: www.EspressoMiCultura.com (for schedule of events)
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий