Rhode Island Latino Arts
Where you will find everything to do with the arts, history, and cultural heritage of Latinos in Rhode Island
Mission
Rhode Island Latino Arts promotes, encourages and preserves the art, history, heritage and cultures of the Spanish-speaking communities of Rhode Island.
Notes from the nonprofit
Rhode Island Latino Arts completed its strategic plan to provide capacity building and board development. Six new board members have been added and a 5-year fundraising plan is underway. In 2014 the board launched a capital campaign to open the first Latin American Cultural Arts Center in RI. UPDATE: Capitol campaign still in discussions and in the meantime, RILA has opened La Galería del Pueblo Latino Cultural Center. We are renting this space and community programming will be offered and evaluated to support our capitol campaign. 2022: We are currently seeking to hire a Programs Director to begin a succession plan for our founding director.
Ruling year
2010
Executive Director
Dr. Marta V. V Martinez
Main address
PO Box 25118
Providence, RI 02905 USA
Formerly known as
Hispanic Heritage Committee of RI
EIN
26-4062309
NTEE code
Cultural, Ethnic Awareness (A23)
Arts Service Activities/Organizations (A90)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990-N.
Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Rhode Island does not have a sustainable Latino cultural arts center.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Hispanic Heritage Month | Rhode Island
September 15 - October 15, is Hispanic Heritage Month. This celebration is our signature event when we organize and promote statewide events and activities that celebrate the Latino culture.
Nuestras Raices: Latino History Project of Rhode Island
An oral histories collection of stories of Rhode Island Latino Pioneers includes ongoing workshops, Barrio (walking) Tours and presentations on the Latino history in Rhode Island. In 2021, we launched the only stand-alone archival collection of recorded stories, documents and artifacts that focuses on the Latino history of Rhode Island.
Community Workshops
We provide workshops at local schools, libraries and community organizations by connecting local Latino artists with young people who wish to learn traditional art of Latino America and acquire or strengthen creative skills including but not limited to theater, dance, visual art, public art, music, folk art.
La Galería del Pueblo |The People's Gallery
The only Latino visual arts gallery and cultural hub in Rhode Island. La Galería is a space where individuals who are of Latino heritage can come together to share, exchange or learn about Latinx arts and cultures and where art is born.
Sabor Latino
Our annual fundraiser features a taste of Latino cuisine and promotes Latino-owned businesses in Rhode Island. It is traditionally held during Hispanic Heritage Month, as we launch the month-long celebrations of Latino culture.
Teatro del Pueblo @RILA
Teatro Latino del Pueblo @RILA was founded in 2016 as a forum for Latinos to develop and present new bilingual plays. Our mission is to provide opportunities for artists, producers and audiences to discuss and advance bilingual Latinx theater in Rhode Island and nationwide.
The Rhode Island Latino Book Award
The Rhode Island Latino Book Award promotes literacy amongst Latinos through the celebration of Latino authors, illustrators and books that highlight Latino culture and Latin American identity.
Through this month-long celebration, RILA encourages librarians, teachers, educators and booksellers to promote books written by and for Latinos, and we encourage all Rhode Islanders to read books in both English and Spanish.
Where we work
Awards
Recognition 2016
United States House of Representatives
Creative Community Award 2017
New England Foundation for the Arts
Affiliations & memberships
National Endowment for the Arts - Partner
National Trust for Historic Preservation Member 2022
National Association for Latino Arts & Cultures 2014
National Oral History Association 2021
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of free participants on field trips
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Intersex people, Adolescents, People of Latin American descent
Related Program
Nuestras Raices: Latino History Project of Rhode Island
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We began offering field trip for the first time in 2017. In 2018, we opened our gallery doors to schools and other youth groups. In 2020, we temporarily stopped all programming due to COVID-19
Number of paid participants in conferences
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, People of Latin American descent
Related Program
Community Workshops
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
With the addition of drumming workshops we began charging "pay as you come"
Average online donation
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Families, Multiracial people
Related Program
La Galería del Pueblo |The People's Gallery
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The opening of La Galeria del Pueblo contributed to increase in donations.
Number of meetings held with decision makers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Multiracial people
Related Program
La Galería del Pueblo |The People's Gallery
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Our main work involves "building bridges" and forming partnerships with decision makers, including funders, arts organization ceos and public policy makers.
Total number of paid admissions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth, At-risk youth
Related Program
Community Workshops
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Our drumming sessions have not increased much since last year. We also added poetry, writing and podcasting workshops.
Total number of volunteer hours contributed to the organization
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Immigrants and migrants
Related Program
La Galería del Pueblo |The People's Gallery
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We have three volunteers who work with us to collect oral histories, are docents during gallery nights and assist us during artists meet ups.
Number of grants received
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, People of Latin American descent, Immigrants and migrants
Related Program
Nuestras Raices: Latino History Project of Rhode Island
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We received two large federal grants for the first time in 2018. Those grants served as seed money to receive additional grants support from local foundations.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
We seek to culturally integrate Latino arts and artists by creating, stimulating, and supporting cultural, educational and artistic activities through the La Galería del Pueblo - Rhode Island's only Latino Arts Gallery and Cultural Hub. We see ourselves as a cultural mediator at the grassroots level between Latino and non-Latino organizations.
Goals: La Galería del Pueblo
• To provide a venue and opportunities for persons to engage in dialogue and exchange ideas with a focus on Latino artists and the arts in Rhode Island.
To examine and explore the programming of arts activities that meet the needs of the Latino community.
▪ To celebrate and feature individuals, projects and programs with a focus on Latino arts.
▪ To generate connections across an expanding network of individuals and groups who embrace the mission and goals of the RI Latino Arts Network and the Hispanic Heritage Committee of RI.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We have moved the location of La Galería del Pueblo to a larger, more expansive building located in an underserved community with a population that includes 70% Latinos. This venue will allow us to expand and offer more programming such as theater arts, drumming, sketch classes, dance and a more ample space to exhibit visual art and offer artists demonstrations.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
RILA has successfully worked to strengthen its board and raise organizational capacity -- in 2018 we added seven new board members to the organization. The board will be stepping up to raise unrestricted funds to support and help maintain La Galería.
In 2018 RILA will be undergoing a series of community forums (pláticas) with stakeholders who will help inform the kinds of programming we can and should be offering. Participants will include Latinos of all ages, artists, business owners and funders.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The opening of our new Latino gallery has brought greater visibility to our organization and build a bridge to educate non Latinos about our culture. We have been able to maintain the gallery and interest by various local artist by including artists in creating and contributing to our schedule of event.
Next is being closer to the Latino community, providing young people with the resources they do no have in their schools and supporting youth and their potential for creative expression through the arts.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
Our organization serves to bridge relationships between Latinos and non-Latinos, however, our main audience are Latinx artists who live or study in Rhode Island. Our current cultural space -- La Galería del Pueblo -- came about as a result of artists gatherings, conversations and written communication with and by our artist-creators who expressed a deep need to have a center that not only hosts their creative art, but reflects their cultural heritage. We are currently in year 2 of a 3-year assessment and seeking a larger, more permanent home for our organization. Latinx artists and the needs of the Latino community will be at the center of our study.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
La Galería del Pueblo is a place where Latinx artists can be in each other's presence to spark individual creativity, co-create or fulfill a longing to be with others who share their language, beliefs, and Latin-American heritage. Our board is actively working on a fundraising plan and the focus is the creation of a Latino Cultural Center.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Rhode Island Latino Arts
Board of directorsas of 01/03/2022
Mr. Jose Ramirez
Real Estate Agent
Term: 2019 - 2025
Tia Ristaino-Siegel
City of Central Falls
Angelica Rivera
Navigant Credit Union
Tyler Dobrowsky
Trinity Repertory Company
Winifred Lambrecht
Rhode Island School of Design
Joseph Flynn Molina
Attorney, Self-Employed
Miguel Quezada
Sanofi
Richard Glenn
Attorney, Retired
Robin Xiong
PhD Student
Michelle DePina Medina
Met Life
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/06/2019GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
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