OUR HISTORY
The Houston Alliance for Latinx Arts (HALA) is a grassroots organization led by artists and arts administrators, driven by a mission to actively engage, uplift, and foster leadership within Houston's Latinx arts communities. Its primary focus is on addressing systemic challenges by advocating for greater equity in arts funding, cultivating relationships between artist and arts organization, and influencing arts funding policy changes in the City and County fiscal structures.
HALA initially took shape in late 2018 through informal community gatherings in response to the publication of a Houston arts equity report conducted by National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC). NALAC illuminated the historic inequities and deficits faced by Latinx artists and arts organization when compared to other groups in Houston. Evolving over time, HALA transitioned into an artist-led advocacy group committed to cultivating leadership within Houston's Latinx arts community.
Most notably over the past 5 years HALA has:
Actively participated in shaping language equity in the Houston Arts Alliance's granting process, ensuring Spanish translation inclusion.
Led the demand for artist and arts organization to be involved in major arts policies being created throughout the City.
Collaborated with Arts Accountability Houston during the COVID pandemic economic crisis, which led to significant changes in how the City prioritizes grant for individuals based on current reserves rather than tax projections during the grant cycles.
Works in close partnership with Advocates of a Latino Museum of Culture and Visual Arts & Complex in Houston, Harris County (ALAMAAH) to further the movement for establishing the first major Hispanic/latino/a/x/e arts museum for Houston.
Was awarded a 2022 grant from the BIPOC Arts Network & Fund (BANF) to sustain its vital efforts in supporting its artists members and addressing barriers within the Latinx creative community.
Since its inception, HALA has facilitated more than 30 gatherings, fostering connections and dialogue among Latinx artists and administrators. These events serve as important platforms for networking, professional development, and the exchange of artistic collaboration and policy strategies. Attendees include creatives from a wide range of disciplines: visual, literary, culinary, and performing arts, arts administrators, varied arts professionals, community leaders, and other allies that want to affect change.
HALA’s most recent in-house quarterly feature was the “Platic-ARTE” artist talks. The Platic-ARTE events are a social event for HALA membership to hear presentations by local artists about their various practices, and sample cuisine from local Latinx chefs. Funded by the 2022 BANF grant, HALA has produced 3 events that included: Stephanie St. Sanchez, Gabriel Martinez, Sarah Sudhoff, Pablo Cardoza, Sandra de la Rosa, Julia Barbosa Landois, Ivette Roman-Roberto, Reyes Ramirez and Chefs Stephanie Lara and Alex Herrera.
Operating under a non-hierarchical structure, HALA has a volunteer steering committee at its core. The current committee, consisting of longstanding members Angel Quesada and Henry G. Sanchez, Emily Fraga-Chambers-Zech, and recently joined Angela Carranza (E.D. of Fresh Arts), represents diverse artistic and professional backgrounds. The committee remains dedicated to advocating for the inclusion of Latinx artists in policy decisions, while emphasizing strong connections and activism within the Houston art communities.
Today, HALA's core principles remain centered around: securing sustainable and equitable funding for Hispanic/Latino/a/x/Mexican-American artists and arts organizations; addressing the challenges of limited arts funding; alleviating language barriers and systemic inequalities within the arts community; and fostering a thriving environment for Latinx artists and arts organizations in Houston.