FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2002
Contact: Patricia Fraga, Austin Public Library, (512) 974-7528
Fax: (512) 974-7442

Floricanto: “ An opportunity for everyone to come together as a community to hear the voices of the young people at risk.”

La Peña Latino Arts in Austin and Austin Public Library proudly presents an art exhibit “Floricanto 2002” a collection of paintings and drawings made by the young people at Gardner Betts Juvenile Justice Center. “Floricanto 2002” will be on display through November 1, 2002 at the Faulk Central Library, 800 Guadalupe Street. A twenty-one year old multi-disciplinary arts organization, La Peña seeks to create a tradition of literary and artistic interaction between established writers and artists and the young people at risk in our community. The name FLORICANTO is borrowed from the ancient Aztecs and is based on the Nahuatl words “xochitl” and “cuicatl” (flower and song).

Since 1994, Floricanto is an ongoing annual program presented by La Peña to foster an appreciation for the literary and visual arts among Austin young people. In the early celebrations the series were taking place at different Elementary Schools. Since 1998, the annual event is held at the Gardner Betts Juvenile Justice Center, providing a weeklong writing and visual arts workshops for the interns. This year the facilitators were storyteller Elizabeth Kahura, literature professor Gina Sconza, and visual artists Carla Nickerson, Fidencio Durán, Mario Vázquez and Mirta Toledo. The teen-agers share their ideas about life, love, feelings and the most important events in their lives. The anthologies that grew out of these Floricantos are published in a magazine format edited by Laura Rodriguez, Case Manager at GBJJC, and formally released at a reception and reading at Gardner-Betts. This component of Floricanto stresses the practice of sharing as a part of a healing process.

###

Have problems, questions, or comments?
Send e-mail to: aplmail@ci.austin.tx.us