On Saturday, February 9, hundreds are expected to gather at Grand Valley State University's Eberhard Center in downtown Grand Rapids for a full day of panels, workshops, films, and presentations on the joys and challenges of feeding the people of the Americas. The event marks the sixth Conference on the Americas organized by GVSU's Latin American Studies Program.
Titled Food For Thought, this year's conference examines the culture, politics, and economics of nutrition in the Western Hemisphere with sessions by noted Latin American scholars and a keynote speech by Mexico's Daring Chef, Lourdes Hern¿ndez. The day finishes with a Brazilian dinner and the conference's first Brazilian carnaval.
Conference sessions run from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on February 9
, with Hern¿ndez's keynote address beginning at 1:30 p.m. The conference is open to the public. Students with ID are admitted free. A sliding scale donation of $5 to $40 is asked of all others, payable at the door or in advance by calling (616) 895-2325. On-site registration begins at 9 a.m.Featured at the conference are scholars from such schools as George Washington, Michigan State, Western Michigan, and Grand Valley State universities and Albion and Hope colleges, as well as educators, activists and service providers from Kent, Ottawa, and Oceana counties. Altogether, the conference brings together 80 experts on Latino and Latin American life in 16 different sessions. One session is devoted to rediscovering indigenous foods, another to the Brazilian table, and others to health programs, agricultural development, and the rituals, literature, and art of food.
Keynote speaker Lourdes Hern¿ndez writes The Public Diary of the Daring Chef, a popular syndicated column on food in Mexico, and appears regularly on TV and radio stations there to talk about the rich diversity of Mexican cuisine. Her house, located in the heart of Mexico City, serves as a salon for poetry reading, music and theatrical performances, and counts as one of the country's most exclusive restaurants. Hern¿ndez promises to offer an engaging speech that is as tantalizing to the intellect as her food is to the taste.
The conference also features art exhibits, display tables and book sales, as well as a film festival featuring the U.S. premiere of Chronicles of an Endless Journey: From Uyuni to Machu Picchu (sites in Bolivia and Peru), which will be shown by filmmaker and visiting Spanish professor Khedija Ghadoum. Also shown in West Michigan for the first time will be other award-winning films exploring food and nutrition issues from Idaho to Brazil.
Brazilian Dinner and Carnival Masquerade Ball
The conference wraps up with a Brazilian dinner served by chefs from Rembrandt's at Bridgewater, beginning at 7 p.m. The colorful and festive Carnival Masquerade Ball follows until midnight, featuring the Bossa Nova, Chorinho, and Samba music of the Ricardo Laranja Quartet. This event is co-sponsored by the Brazilian Community of West Michigan.
Persons interested in attending the Brazilian Dinner and carnival must pre-register by February 2. Tickets are available at $25 for one, $45 for two, and $15 for non-GVSU students. A limited number of free tickets are available for GVSU students. The dinner fee includes free admittance to the daylong conference as well. Call (616) 895-2325 to reserve tickets and make payment arrangements.
Click here for a schedule of Conference on the Americas sessions and events.
