Funding from Bank of Albuquerque to help National Hispanic Cultural Center connect with its neighborhood

February 1st, 2023

Albuquerque, NM- A $2,500 award from Bank of Albuquerque will help the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) connect with its local neighborhood this spring. 

This funding will be used to support early childhood programs as well as the NHCC’s Día de Familia y Comunidad: Fiesta de Barelas. Visit the Center on Wednesday, March 22 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for music, arts activities, and plenty of community building within Albuquerque’s historic Barelas neighborhood during Albuquerque Public Schools’ spring break. 

“This generous grant will allow the NHCC to celebrate the history and unique qualities of the Barelas community,” said Noël Bella Merriam, NHCC artistic director and co-interim executive director. “We are thankful to both the Bank of Albuquerque and the NHCC Foundation for supporting this fun and creative day for families and the community during Spring Break 2023.” 

“Barelas has always been the NHCC’s home, and we’re thrilled to work hand-in-hand with the Center to make this collaboration with our neighborhood a reality,” said NHCC Foundation President John Martinez. 

The event will feature arts activities and music during a day that honors the Barelas community, one of Albuquerque’s oldest neighborhoods. Visitors will have a chance to make paper architecture, maracas, and weavings.  

Vicente Griego will lead guests in a sing-along featuring music from the John Donald Robb New Mexico music archives. Barelas neighborhood community organizations, such as Barelas Senior Center, Barelas Community Center, Los Jardines and more, will be on hand to share information about their programs. 

This event is free and open to everyone who is interested in learning more about one of Albuquerque’s most unique and vibrant communities. To learn more about the Día de Familia y Comunidad and early childhood programs like Arte Poquito or Bilingual Storytime, visit nhccnm.org/events. 

More about the National Hispanic Cultural Center The National Hispanic Cultural Center is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and advancement of Hispanic culture, arts, and humanities. The NHCC presents mission-related events throughout the year, some produced by its history, literary, performing, and visual arts programs, and others by partnering with external organizations. Events take place at its 20-plus-acre campus, which includes a plaza, an art museum, a historically designated building, a library, and a genealogy center. The NHCC is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and is further supported by the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation.