An evening of dancing, music, and more is all part of a Celebración de las Artes that will be held from 5:15-6:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, at the Muscatine Art Center. The evening is a collaboration between the Muscatine Art Center, Global Education at the Stanley Center, MCC Collegiate LULAC, LULAC Muscatine, Muscatine UNIDOS 4-H, and the Muscatine County Arts Council.

West Liberty High School’s Los Cometas Mariachi

The West Liberty student-led mariachi, Los Cometas Mariachi, will start the evening by performing at 5:15 p.m. The group began in January 2021 under the direction of Ashley Smith, director of bands at West Liberty High School. The mission of Los Cometas Mariachi is “Empowering youth, building community, and teaching culture through authentic music education.”

Students from the Quad Cities Ballet Folklorico (QCBF) will share Mexican culture through the art form of dance following the mariachi performance. The QCBF consists of about 80 students ranging in age from four- to 18 years old. Since its started in 1984, the group has performed at a variety of events such as local fiestas, art festivals, and school functions.

In addition to the performances, the pop-up display, “Migration is Beautiful,” will be on view, and several Hispanic heritage crafts will be provided including a mini piñata activity,

“Day of the Dead” skulls, and a community art project to recreate the print of “Emilia at 10” by Mauricio Lasansky. The print is currently on view in the exhibition, “Mauricio Lasansky: Portraits from the Permanent Collection.” Other exhibitions at the Muscatine Art Center include “Jon Fasanelli-Cawelti: The Man Filled with Music” and work by artist Cory Christiansen and photography by John Deason.

The first 100 event attendees will receive a ticket for one free taco from Guadalajara Mexican Cuisine’s food truck which will also be set up for additional sales. All of the performances this evening will be free. The performances will be held on the grounds of the Muscatine Art Center, and attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or lawn chairs.

In case of inclement weather, the performances and activities will be moved to the Black Box Theatre on the Muscatine Community College campus at 152 Colorado Street. If it is necessary to use the alternate location, notification of the move will be posted on the website and Facebook page of the Muscatine Art Center.