From Creative Outlets to Creative Careers: The Importance of the Arts in South Bay
At the end of September, Casa Familiar kicked off the San Diego tour of Mario Vega’s play, Our Lady of the San Diego Convention Center at El Salon Theater in San Ysidro. The opening was an opportunity to discuss the importance of arts access, workforce development, and investment in our communities. ARTS Advancement Coordinator and National City native, Jose Lopez, joined the panel discussion after the performance.
“This kind of exposure to the arts is more than just a creative outlet; it is an entry point into meaningful careers and long-term economic opportunity.”
ACLU San Diego & Imperial Counties Executive Director Norma Chavez-Peterson moderated the discussion. Almost all of the panelists, along with Jose, who started at ARTS as an intern and later as an Operations and Programs Assistant, started their careers with internships for the organizations they now work with – Mario was once an intern for Casa Familiar and is now showcasing his play with their support; and Hector Castro, who once interned for the Front Arte y Cultura is now their Arts & Culture Operator.
That is precisely why this type of “creative exposure” matters, as Casa Familiar explains, and why “arts education, training, and career pathways are so important in South Bay communities.” The panelists' conversation showed how “this kind of exposure to the arts is more than just a creative outlet; it is an entry point into meaningful careers and long-term economic opportunity.”
While many of the questions addressed what it means to care for one another during times of duress and what a conversation about immigration looks like, some also touched on why this story is important to share in communities around San Diego, especially in South Bay and National City, where “1 in 2 people speak a language other than English at home and 1 in 3 were born outside of the US,” as Jose explained in his response on the panel.
The migrant girls' story in the play can resonate with migrant residents of National City, especially in how they built a friendship through adversity and persevered despite difficult circumstances. Jose continued on to tie the importance of arts education and exposure in the lives of youth and their families to the power of art and its ability to heal and transform, noting that intergenerational art experiences “[brings] them together, to learn from one another, to connect, and in some cases, reconnect.”
Our Lady of the San Diego Convention Center is Mario Vega’s second world premiere production with TuYo Theater, and is directed by Maria Patrice Amon in collaboration with Casa Familiar. It is based on the San Diego Convention Center’s use in 2021 as a holding facility for young asylum seekers; the play follows the story of two young migrant girls who meet one another inside and form a friendship, not only with one another, but with the hired youth care workers who learn to adjust to changing rules and restrictions.
The play is currently touring San Diego and will end its run in Barrio Logan on October 18th from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. For more information and to register for tickets, please visit the tour schedule here. We thank our community partners, Casa Familiar, TuYo Theater, and the Front Arte Cultura, for inviting ARTS to participate in such a meaningful discussion.
