We are excited to announce that our rockstar Programming and Marketing Manager, Consuelo Tupper Hernández, and longtime Board president and lifetime LP community member, Paloma Salazar, have assumed the roles of Interim co-Executive Directors at La Peña. We are grateful to this dedicated and talented team for taking the helm and leading La Peña through this transition after parting ways with our former Executive Director last week.
During her three years working at La Peña, Consuelo has expanded our programming offerings from being closed due to the pandemic to over fifty special events per year, leading the way to a diverse calendar that centers marginalized communities and models equitable, reciprocal & sustainable forms of collaboration. Consuelo’s commitment to building deep and long-lasting relationships with artists, culture bearers, activists and allies has resulted in new partnerships that we are so grateful for and that we can’t wait to continue to grow! Paloma, for her part, has been involved with La Peña for over 30 years. Born and raised in Oakland, and daughter of a Chilean exile who moved to the Bay Area in 1978, she spent her childhood at La Peña and has been involved ever since. Paloma worked to revitalize our space during the economic recession 2010-2015, and she had previously house managed, volunteered, and ran the sound board for many of our events!
We are confident that Consuelo and Paloma together will make La Peña stronger throughout and after this transition, as we reorganize ourselves and prepare for a Summer & Fall Seasons full of community celebration, historically grounded events, film festivals, concerts, classes, workshops, and more!
Certainly, there’s a ton of work ahead of us. The funding landscape is always tricky for organizations like La Peña that center the arts, culture, and political struggles of BIPOC communities, and today is no different. Despite these challenges, as we approach our 50th Anniversary next year, our staff and board are committed to seeing La Peña grow and thrive for another fifty years!
We invite you to be an active part of this new chapter of La Peña: this transition is a great time to get involved! View our calendar and attend a class or upcoming presentation; become a member and enjoy special perks including discounts & free events; or show your support by being a volunteer!
With much love and appreciation,
LP Team & Board