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Founding 2018 Cultural Focus Committee Members

Our 2018 Cultural Focus is made possible with the collaboration of our Cultural Focus Committee. This committee, composed of individuals, professors, culture bearers, activists and local artists, serves as the consulting council to develop and curate this program. Including members from SEEDArts, Dia de Muertos Committee, the Indigenous Aztec community, La Sala, Bailadores de Bronce and Joyas Mestizas Folklorico groups, members from The National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) and heritage artists from around the Seattle area, that is curated and developed by and for the Mexican American and Chicana(o) communities.

The Cultural Focus Committee has identified that the main focus of this program will be exploring offering a larger platform for youth to explore their heritage and visualize the future.

Edgardo Garcia | Dia de Muertos Seattle

Francisca Garcia | SEEDArts and Rainier Arts Center

Francisca has been sharing the Mexican cultural experience for 45 years and can make a mean mole.

Luz Garcia | Joyas Mestizas & Bailadores de Bronce

Luz Garcia is a Seattle native and a long-time performing artist and active participant in Seattle’s Latino and Mexican American community. She also love tamales.

William Myers (DJ Chilly) | KEXP

Chilly (Will Myers) is a DJ, creative producer/audio editor, and writer for Seattle-based radio station KEXP 90.3fm / www.kexp.org. He’s the producer and host of KEXP’s modern Latin mixshow “El Sonido” (Mondays 6-9pm PST), and is also a club DJ with the Seattle Latin/global bass crew ¡Manos Arriba!

Fulgencio Lazo | Artist & Grupo Cultural Oaxaqueno

Artist Fulgencio Lazo, was born in Oaxaca, Mexico, and immigrated in 1990 to Seattle, where he enjoys painting and producing cultural programming that highlights Latinos in the arts.

Adrian Olivas | Bailadores de Bronce

Adrian Olivas has been a dancer of Bailadores De Bronce since 1996 and the honor of being the Executive Director since 2012.

Luna Garcia | Joyas Mestizas

Luna Garcia is Seattle born and raised. She grew up dancing in Joyas Mestizas and now has the great privilege of teaching the next generation of folklorico dancers with her teaching partner, Deleana Guerrero.

Jake Prendez | Local Chicano Artist

Jake Prendez is a Seattle/LA Chicano Artist and Scholar, exhibiting and lecturing around the country.

Jim Cantu | La Sala

Jim Cantú is a published literary artist, a radio producer (KBCS and KVRU), DJ and an event coordinator.

Gabriella Gutierrez-Muhs | Seattle University Professo of Chicana/o Studies

Gabriella Gutiérrez y Muhs is a renowned Chicana poet and academic, a full professor at Seattle University in Modern Languages and Women and Gender Studies.


Antonio M. Gómez | Co-founder of La Sala Latinx Artist Network, Education Manager of Broadway Center for Performing Arts, Percussionist

Focused on cultural dialogue, Tony is an educator and percussionist who has taught in K12 schools, managed arts education programs, written curricula for public media and toured nationally and regionally as a musician and speaker.

Bárbara Rodríguez-González | Dia de Muertos Seattle & Para Los Niños

Barbara is passionate about her culture and her roots and strongly believes that in order to be successful, you have to be aware of where you came from. That’s the reason why she became a Cultural Promoter. She currently serves as the Artistic Coordinator and Committee Member for the Día de Muertos Festival as well as the Board President at Para Los Niños, a nonprofit located in Burien.


Ixtlixochitl White Hawk | Indigenous Artist and Cultural Educator

Ixtli is an Indigenous Artist and Cultural Educator/Consultant; born into the Pochteca society, within the Mexika culture. She has been traveling the world from a very young age as the spokesperson for TLOKE-NAHUAKE Traditional Aztec Fire Dancers, the family dance