State Historical Society to present Hoosier Latino Celebration

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) will celebrate Latino history and culture in Indiana and the Midwest through the first Hoosier Latino Celebration.

The celebration takes place Sept. 16 through Sept. 30 at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis, with additional programming on Tuesdays and Saturdays. All activities are included with admission to the Indiana History Center. Admission to the History Center is free on Saturday, Sept. 30.

Through music, art, food and scholarship, visitors will experience a blend of activities to help deepen their understanding of Latino culture, celebrate the role and influence Latino communities have had in shaping the state, and share in our commonalities.

The centerpiece of the celebration will be a new installation by Justin Favela, a mixed-media artist known for large-scale installations and sculptures, which will hang from the ceiling in Eli Lilly Hall throughout the run of the festival. The exhibit will be open during regular operating hours.

On Tuesdays and Saturdays throughout the run of the Hoosier Latino Celebration, additional programming called “Heritage Days and Nights” will provide further opportunities for visitors of all ages to connect with Latino history and culture. Visitors can participate in hands-on art activities as well as lectures, discussions and book talks. There will also be local performers highlighting music from various Latino nationalities.

Heritage Days and Nights take place on the dates listed below:

Heritage Day: Saturday, Sept. 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

11 a.m. – Performance by traditional Peruvian flutist Carlos Torres

1:30 p.m. – Performance by Alboroto on the Stardust Café Terrace, weather permitting

2:30 p.m. – The Lost Barrio – Lecture by Nicole Martinez-LeGrand

Heritage Night: Tuesday, Sept. 19 from 5 to 8 p.m.

5:30 p.m. – Performance by Latin rock band Alboroto

6:30 p.m. – Young Latino Leaders – Panel discussion with Bernice Tenorio, Fabio Yacato, Guadalupe Pedraza and Marcos Navarro-Garcia and moderated by Elise Shrock

Heritage Day: Saturday, Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. – Performances by Alboroto on the Stardust Café Terrace, weather permitting

2:30 p.m. – Hoosier Latinos: A Century of Struggle, Service, and Success – Book talk and author signing with Nicole Martinez-LeGrand and Daniel Gonzales

Heritage Night: Tuesday, September 26 from 5 to 8 p.m.

5:30 p.m. – Performance by traditional Peruvian flutist Carlos Torres

7 p.m. – The Politics of Indigeneity in Latin America – Lecture with Carolina Castereno

Heritage Day: Saturday, Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Free admission

12:30 p.m. – “Outburst by the CLO Followed”: The Concerned Latins Organization, Protest Politics, and Recovering Indiana’s Civil Rights History – Lecture by Emiliano Aguilar, Ph.D.

2:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. – Performances by Ballet Folkloric Mosaicos

Discussion by Flor Ramos-Skidmore about pupusas, an El Salvadoran dish

For more, visit https://indianahistory.org/events/hoosier-latino-celebration-2023/.

The Hoosier Latino Celebration is presented by the Lacy Foundation and supported by the Arthur Jordan Foundation. For more details, visit www.indianahistory.org.