Photo Gallery

Argentine Tango Dance & Culture Workshops - Oct. 2011 (3 Photos)

Tango workshops held at GVSU during Fall 2011.

November 2011 - Day of the Dead (8 Photos)

April 2012 - LAS student, Kristin Kuhn, the first recipient of the LAS mini-grant. (3 Photos)

Student Kristin Kuhn traveled to Birmingham, Alabama in April to present a paper at the 20th Annual Latin American Studies Symposium at Birmingham-Southern College.

March 2013 - Conference on the Americas (9 Photos)

The 12th Conference of the Americas was held on March 15 & 16 at the Eberhard Center, GVSU Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus. This year's theme was Places, Bodies and Practices in Latin America. The conference is an interdisciplinary forum for scholars and community organizations interested in topics of research on Latin America, including the experiences of Latin Americans in the United States and Canada. The keynote speakers were Dr. Saskia Sassen (Columbia University) who conducted a workshop and gave a lecture on globalization (including social, economic and political dimensions), immigration, global cities (including cities and terrorism), new technologies, and changes within the liberal state that result from current transnational conditions. Cultural anthropologist Ana Rosas Mantecón (Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa) conducted a workshop and gave a lecture on the social impact of cultural access, creativity, and urban cultural policies in Mexico City. Proposals included posters, panels, paper sessions and pedagogies of all kinds, including an Latin@s Art Exhibition. Three local children's dance groups participated at the closing of the conference. The total number of attendees was more than 500 people, including students, faculty, scholars, artists and community members.

April 4-7, 2013 - 4th Grand Rapids Latin American Film Festival (5 Photos)

After the great success of last year's Latin American Film Festival, Aquinas College, Calvin College, Ferris State University, Davenport University and Grand Valley State University held the 4th annual Grand Rapids Latin American Film Festival on April 4-7, at Celebration! Cinema North & IMAX and Wealthy Theatre. The goal of the festival was to provide the West Michigan community with a unique and enriching opportunity to see with the latest and most acclaimed Latin American films. Fourteen movies from different geographical areas were selected: Chile, México, Guatemala, Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Perú and Argentina which focused on a wide range of contemporary subjects. The Consulates of Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil in Chicago and the Mexican Consulate Detroit contributed to the success of the festival by providing films. Juan Andrés Bello, Venezuelan filmmaker, discussed his documentary La Reina del Pueblo/The Beauty Queen of Town and Gustavo Taretto, Argentine Director, presented his film Sidewalls/Medianeras. The entire festival was open to the public and all events were free. The total GRLAFF attendees was 900, including students and local community members.

Plaza Comunitaria (6 Photos)

Plaza Comunitaria is a Spanish language adult tutoring program at Steepletown Neighborhood Services (671 Davis NW). The volunteer powered program, funded by the Mexican government, is only the second program of its kind in Michigan and exists all over the United States and in Mexico. Upon graduation, students receive a high school diploma from the Instituto Nacional para la Educación de Adultos de México (National Institute for Adult Education in Mexico INEA). The diploma is valid in Latin American countries other than Mexico as well.