Latino arts and culture center in Fresno gets $7 million. How Arte Américas will spend funds

Arte Américas, the only Latino cultural arts center in the central San Joaquin Valley, had to temporarily shut down during the pandemic and was significantly vandalized.

While it was closed, the center had its windows broken, its air-conditioning system wrecked, its exterior electrical wiring cut and experienced two trespass situations through their roof.

“It just was really, really a difficult time for us,” said Ruth Saludes, Arte Américas’ executive director.

After reopening — and having to pay for repairs — the art gallery and cultural center is now receiving a new wave of public investment from state and local governments.

Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula presented a $7 million check to Arte Américas on Wednesday morning in downtown Fresno. The funding is expected to help with renovations and program expansion, with the goal of helping the facility become a world-class museum and cultural center.

Adding to the state’s funding, Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias said the city granted an additional $400,000 to help with the building’s improvements.

The infrastructure damages were “threatening the vitality of this building and what it represents,” Arias said.

Vivian Velasco Paz, Arte Américas board president, said the funding would have an impact beyond the building’s infrastructure.

“The community will be the true beneficiaries of these funds,” she said. “More children are going to experience the art here, and what’s wonderful about Arte Américas is it brings multiple generations together.”

Latino cultural arts center plans for growth

Since its founding 35 years ago, maintaining Arte Américas open has “always been a financial struggle,” Saludes said.

It managed to stay afloat through a series of grants, public and private donations, volunteer staff and, most recently, a $5 gallery entrance fee that’s waived on free access days.

“A lot of museums and galleries folded (during the pandemic). We did not,” Saludes said. “We worked very hard these past three years to make sure that we were stable.”

Arte Américas leaders hope the latest infusion of funding will help keep the center open and vibrant moving forward.

The center currently uses a third of its building and Arte Américas staff want to use more of the facility’s space to expand their art and cultural program offerings.

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Beyond fixing damages sustained during the pandemic, the funds will help cover the costs of the second floor’s much-needed repairs. The second floor was used years ago but isn’t operational now, Saludes said. It needs new floors, updated bathrooms and a renovated kitchen, she said.

Arte Américas also plans to invest in temperature control and security systems.

The funds will also help pay the facility’s mortgage. Previously, retired judge and Arte Américas founder Armando Rodriguez helped pay the center’s monthly fee while it struggled financially.

“We actually own all of this property. It’s not a rental,” Saludes said. “And we’ve almost kind of paid off (the mortgage) completely. It won’t be very long. And of course, now it’ll be simple to pay it off.”

The granted funds will also allow Arte Américas to hire five new staff members. At the moment, Saludes and a program manager are the only two full-time employees and there are a few part-time workers.

Saludes said the new job descriptions haven’t been drafted yet, since Arte Américas wants to assess what areas could benefit the center and community the most.

Gallery aims to make Fresno community ‘stronger’

In Riverside, The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture received a $9.7 million grant from the state to support its development. It opened its doors earlier this summer.

Seeing how other cities’ cultural centers were getting grants worth millions of dollars, Arambula asked for a similar amount for Arte Américas, Velsaco Paz said.

Arambula secured $21.5 million in state funds to be disbursed across various local agencies and nonprofit organizations in District 31, including the $7 million for Arte Américas, according to his office.

“We need to be able to celebrate that our diversity is our strength,” Arambula said. “By looking into our culture and by understanding how we can express ourselves in art, we can be a stronger community.”

That’s been the center’s mission all along, Arte Américas board members said.

“When we started Arte Américas, we knew it was important because we recognized that Fresno was changing,” said Lilia Gonzáles-Chávez, one of Arte Américas’s founders. “We needed to provide a place where children could see themselves in the most positive light possible.”