Centro Cultural de la Raza will host a tribute art show to Legendary Latinas in music like Celia Cruz, Gloria Estefan, Lila Downs and Selena, on Saturday, April 1.

All proceeds will benefit the Centro Cultural de la Raza, an organization with the mission to create, preserve, promote and educate about Chicano, Mexican, Latino, and Indigenous art and culture.

“San Diego is so unique because we sit at the border. It’s a super vibrant spot, but there are not a lot of places that promote the Chicano culture,” said Aida Soria, Vice-president of the Centro Cultural de la Raza Board of Directors. “We are the only organization in Balboa Park which sole mission is to promote the Chicano and Indigenous art and culture.”

The Centro Cultural de la Raza was founded in 1970 as a Chicano Community Cultural Center and functions as an alternative space that encourages and facilitates artistic growth and cultural exchange in the San Diego-Tijuana region. The Centro provides classes and features a dynamic interdisciplinary schedule of events which includes exhibits, musical performances, installation art, readings, receptions, Aztec dance, Chicano theater, ballet folklorico, film screenings and other events.
This year’s Legendary Latinas art show will be the second annual event of it’s kind. Last year, the event only honored Selena, but this year, the tribute expands to include other famous Latinas in music.

The art show will include different types of paintings about the Legendary Latinas in music from Southern California artists.
“We made the Legendary Latinas art show more broad, and more inclusive,” Soria said. “We are going to have over 20 artists, 10 different Dj’s, a washing-machine dance contest, and a Selena look alike contest.”

Over a hundred people have rsvp’d and over 350 people have marked as interested to attend at the Facebook event page. And the venue can only handle 300 people.

“100 percent of the proceeds will benefit the Centro. The funds are going to be use to pay our phone bill, dance programs, and to keep the maintenance of our building,” Soria added. “We have a lot of necessities to keep our doors open.”

The event that runs from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. is only for people over 21 years old. There will be food, drinks, and vendors on site. The general entry is $10 per person. Tickets can be purchased through the Centro’s website at www.centroculturaldelaraza.com. Last year, the entrance tickets sold out a week before the event.

Centro Cultural de la Raza is located at 2004 Park Boulevard in San Diego.