Art from Ashes joined the Escuela Tlatelolco community on June 25 for the third annual Community Gathering event, co-hosted by Neena Expressions and Nurture Denver and sponsored by Denver Arts & Venues. The Community Gathering was created as an opportunity to celebrate Chicano artists and muralists and to continue the conversation about healing displaced and gentrified communities.
La Escuela Tlatelolco Centro de Estudios was founded in the late 1960s during the Chicano Movement by Corky Gonzales. The school was focused on direct activism for students, staff and the community for nearly 50 years. In it’s prime, the school building featured Chicano murals, both inside and outside the space, which have since been erased.
Neena Massey of Neena Expressions worked at Escuela Tlatelolco for 15 years, until the school closed in 2017. Since then, Neena has focused her work on healing through creative expression while also raising awareness about the issues facing local individuals and communities. For Neena, the Community Gathering is a project that draws attention to shared wounds and acknowledges and respects the Escuela Tlatelolco community and the Chicano muralists who shaped its culture.
The event was free for all community members to attend and was hosted at the Nurture WellCare Marketplace in Denver. Nurture hosts more than 60 independent businesses, each offering a variety of self-care resources, like fitness and food.
Art from Ashes Director of Operations, Angelica Peralta, attended the event and led participants in a three-minute writing prompt. The event also included presentations from local artists, community members, and even a performance by a local Mariachi band.
AfA was excited to join the Community Gathering for the second year in a row, fostering creative expression and encouraging empowerment and communal healing. We can’t wait to participate next year at the fourth annual Community Gathering!
