FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 10, 2007

Media contacts:
Mike Blasenstein (for Teresa Diaz), (202) 372-5967 or mblasen@gmail.com
Kenny Fried, Starbucks, (202) 468-8200
Abel Lopez, GALA Hispanic Theatre, (202) 234-7174

D.C. LATINO ARTISTS JOIN IN AREA’S REVITALIZATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH STARBUCKS, GALA HISPANIC THEATRE

Local Latina artist and curator Teresa Diaz announced today that the newly opened Starbucks Coffee location in Columbia Heights has agreed to serve as an exhibition space for local Latino artists, with the exhibitions themselves curated by Diaz. The Starbucks store hosting the artists’ work is located at 3107 14th Street NW in Washington, D.C.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for local Latino artists,” said Diaz, who has been working as an artist and arts administrator for six years, the last four in Washington. “Latino culture contributes so much to life in Washington, D.C., and now Starbucks’ generous arrangement will help bring some of D.C.’s most innovative voices in the Latino arts community to this heavily Hispanic neighborhood.”

Diaz added, “With the wave of new development in the area, Starbucks’ commitment to local Latino artists is a welcome reminder that being a good neighbor is also good business.”

Shaun Johnson, manager of the new Columbia Heights Starbucks, said, “We’re proud to partner with Washington’s Latino artists and showcase the rich culture that has always been part of Columbia Heights. We look forward to giving back to the community in countless ways.”

GALA Hispanic Theatre in Columbia Heights is also partnering with Starbucks for the theatre’s next production, “Cita a Ciegas/Blind  Date” by Argentinean playwright Mario Diament, opening September 20. Both the Theatre and Starbucks will be exhibiting works by Maryland-based Argentinean artist Felisa Federman, and Starbucks will host a joint reception for the play’s opening with GALA on September 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Discounted tickets for the play will also be available at that time. Please contact Abel Lopez (above) for details.

Federman’s “Viento y Agua/Wind and Water” series deals with the endangerment of land and sea creatures by industrialization and the environment. It will be shown at the Columbia Heights Starbucks (3107 14th Street NW) from September 1 to October 31, and at GALA Hispanic Theatre (3333 14th Street NW) from September 13 to October 31.

About Teresa Diaz:
Artist and visual arts curator Teresa Diaz was born and raised in Mexico City. Her desire to be an artist led her to earn a degree in Fashion Design and Fine Arts from the Pratt Institute in New York City. After a once-in-a-lifetime experience interning at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Teresa pursued her dream of creating collaborative projects in the arts inspired by both historical and contemporary events. Her large-scale oil paintings “Roadscapes” are drawn from life experiences and curiosity with the eternal, permanence and existence. Presently, Diaz is dedicated to enhancing and promoting Latino art in the Washington, D.C. area. Her Web site, www.latinovisualsource.com serves as a link to the many venues she has created and is involved in.
 
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