CreArte Latino Cultural Center Celebrates New Location

November 4, 2024 | Sarasota

CreArte Latino Cultural Center is excited to announce that it has moved to a new location in Sarasota County. The new facility features enhanced amenities designed to better serve the community as a vibrant cultural center and theater. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is Monday, December 9, from 5 to 6 p.m., and is open to the public. CreArte is located at 1913 Northgate Blvd, Sarasota. Visit CrearteLatino.org or call 941-732-7191 for more information.

Carolina Franco, co-founder and producing artistic director of CreArte Latino, describes the move as a major milestone in the center’s mission to serve the diverse cultural needs of the Latino population living in Sarasota and Manatee counties. “This new facility embodies CreArte Latino’s commitment to serving as a cultural hub,” says

Franco, noting the flexibility of the new space to support a broad array of programs, meetings and performances. She adds that support from Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation helped make this move possible.

With its large multi-purpose room, dedicated classroom, enhanced acoustics, tech booth, restrooms, office, and ample storage, the expanded space allows for greater inclusivity and creative programming.

“We are deeply grateful to the Barancik Foundation, our dedicated supporters and volunteers who have made this new chapter possible,” says Franco. “This move not only strengthens CreArte Latino’s mission of cultural enrichment but also enhances our ability to connect with a wider audience.” She adds that the new space will offer exciting naming opportunities for supporters, opening new ways for the community to leave a lasting legacy.

The new center’s debut production, “VOCES de Inmigración,” is November 15 and 16 at 8 p.m., and November 17 at 5 p.m. Directed by Juan Pablo Salas and Elvira Sánchez-Blake, “VOCES de Inmigración” is a staged reading, curated from interviews with local community members from various backgrounds. This powerful production provides a platform for immigrant voices, sharing moving stories of resilience, hope, and the profound experiences of starting anew in the United States. The program is sponsored, in part, by the Nancy Jo Marchisello Charitable Fund at Gulf Coast Community Foundation.