Art in the Community: Families Create Floats for Richmond’s Cinco de Mayo Parade

Posted on April 19, 2015

Art in the Community Director Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez shares an exciting update on how the program is engaging Richmond families in support of one of the city’s most important cultural celebrations of the year, Cinco de Mayo:

“Latino families are the students in a new class the Richmond Art Center is offering in collaboration with the Cinco de Mayo Parade Committee, the Latina Center and Richmond High School. The families are designing two floats that will become part of the Peace and Unity Cinco de Mayo Parade. The idea came from the parents and community members who are part of the parade’s organizing committee. They wanted the teens to participate in an art-making experience in connection with the parade’s floats. Such an experience, they believe, can help build community and channel teen energy towards a creative and engaging project. These art classes are free to the students, and are financed in part by the generosity of the San Pablo Koshland Fellows.

One float has a conservation theme and features sculptures and decorations made entirely with recycled materials. The other float has a historical theme and will include a student designed banner and a mural with three-dimensional letters. The Latina Center and Richmond HS are hosting the classes, taught by teaching artists Patricia Rodriguez and Neil Rivas. Victoria Ayala, a UC Berkeley graduate student, is assisting as a volunteer.”

The parade committee is hosting float decoration parties for three other trucks on the day before the May 2 parade. To help decorate a truck or to become a volunteer please visit the Peace and Unity Cinco de Mayo Parade’s website: http://www.cincodemayoparade.com