2nd Annual Little Village Arts Festival Celebrates Art and Diversity

Just last year William Estrada, or Mr. E as he is known to his students, started a silkscreening class with funding from a Small Arts Grant through Little Village Community Development Corporation (LVCDC). Thanks to this grant, his students at Telpochalli Elementary School created t-shirts and posters decorated with trees, flowers and parks – all of the things they hope to see more of in their neighborhood’s future. 

On Saturday, October 18, Mr. E’s work was featured in one of more than 30 workshops, performances and galleries at the 2nd Annual Little Village Arts Festival

“I was so excited that I was invited to be a part of the Festival this year,” said Estrada.  “I thought this would be a great way to get more neighborhood youth involved in my class.”

Mr. E’s silk screening class is just one of the many art programs that support the diversity and creative development of community members.  Increasing local arts & cultural opportunities is a community priority outlined in the LVCDC-initiated Quality of Life Plan for Little Village..

This year LVCDC’s dedication to promoting community growth through the arts was on display as hundreds of Chicagoans poured into Little Village to visit the Festival.  Honored this year as part of Chicago Artist’s Month, the free festival brought together the thriving artist community with small business owners throughout the neighborhood.  Ten galleries and cafes donated space so artists could exhibit everything from paintings and photographs to independent documentaries and performance art.  

The Festival kicked off with an opening night celebration at the Catedral Café, a converted gallery space.  The Little Village Chamber of Commerce co-sponsored this reception where visitors enjoyed browsing through art created by recipients of the Little Village Small Arts Grants.

“One of the many goals we have is to take art out of the museum and into a space where people can see it’s not something out of their reach,” said Laura Nuñez, a filmmaker and one of the festival’s organizers.

All ages enjoyed the showcase of performance art from the Grassroots Media Festival including martial arts, dance, music and circus arts presentations from the Ng Family Arts Association and the Lookinglass Theater.

In addition to the galleries and performances, the festival was an interactive opportunity for visitors to learn from the artists of the Little Village community. Community artists led over 10 workshops on how to create everything from sculptures and jewelry to making drums and scarves.  At Arte Y Realidad, parents could learn how to make traditional drums in an Aztec Ceremony while children gathered at tables to create friendship bracelets that they could share with their friends.

“This festival gave families a place they could come and spend the day doing something together and enjoying the art and beauty in our neighborhood,” said Analia Rodriguez, Arts Organizer at LVCDC.   

To obtain more information about LVCDC’s Arts programs, please contact Analia Rodriguez at analia@lvcdc.org or Julian Lazalde at 773.542.9233.