RISCA Honors Carolina Briones With Latino Community Leadership Award

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Oct. 13, 2015 - PRLog -- Carolina Briones, Providence Community Library’s Latino Program Coordinator, will receive a Latino Community Leadership award from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) in recognition of her work to advance and promote Latino arts and culture in Rhode Island. The award will be presented at a reception celebrating RISCA’s 14th Annual Latin American Art Exhibit at the Atrium Gallery, One Capitol Hill, Providence.  The art exhibit features an inter-generational art display curated by Briones called “Somos Latinos in America,” as well as the work of artists from diverse Latino backgrounds, including that of Miguel A. Cifuentes, who will travel from Florida to attend Thursday's event.  Just before the reception, there will be an opportunity to attend a screening and discussion of "The New Latinos," an episode of the PBS documentary series “Latino Americans,” which celebrates 500 years of Latino history. The discussion will be led by David Espinoza, Assistant Professor, Rhode Island College and feature Analia Alcolea and Elvys Ruiz as panelists.


Carolina Briones was born in Ecuador and has worked in Providence for over 15 years.  She has established classes in English as a Second Language (ESL), General Education Diploma (GED) in Spanish and regular bilingual story times at Providence Community Library (PCL). She co-founded a Spanish Book Club that recently celebrated its tenth anniversary and has been running “Dia de los Ninos, Dia de Los Libros” children’s days since 2003. Briones created, with PCL colleagues and community partners, the first "Feria del Libro  y Las Artes de Providence" book and arts festival in 2014;  this year's Feria del Libro, linked to RISCA’s art exhibit, took place earlier this month. Briones has made contributions to organizations such as Parents Make a Difference, AmeriCorps, ECAS theater, RI Latino Arts and Evolution Cultural Magazine. She is currently the President of the Ecuadorian Association of Rhode Island and owns her own company, MACART.


The screening and discussion of “The New Latinos” will take place at 5:00P.M. on the 2nd floor, conference room B, at One Capitol Hill and will be followed immediately afterwards at 6:30P.M. by the reception in the Atrium Gallery. The Art Exhibit and awards will be introduced by Elena Calderón Patiño, the Director of RISCA’s  Community Arts Program. “Somos Latinos in America” features works by Cifuentes, Francisco Hernandez, Tamara Diaz, Andres Chaparro Jr., Carlos A. Ochoa, Marta Huanca and Luz Maria Huanca as well as contributions from youth patrons of Providence Community Library and members of Progreso Latino’s senior program. The Exhibit will remain on display until November 7. "Somos Latinos in America" has been sponsored by RISCA, the American Library Association, PBS Latino Americans and the National Endowment for the Humanities.