OUR HISTORY

Founded in the Pacific Northwest in 2007, La Sala is a conduit that brings artists together who either identify or are descended from Mexico, the America’s, and the Caribbean (Latine/x). We create and catalyze opportunities for these artists and arts organizations to provide them access to professional education, art spaces, institutional connections, expanded audiences, and commissioned creative opportunities. La Sala responds to the unmet cultural needs of the ever-growing Latinx demographic in King/Pierce County and outlying areas.

Our core values are: 1) We are an artist service organization that works to create unity, strength, and capacity building for our creative community. 2) We adapt and evolve in alignment with community needs. 3) We create paying opportunities for artists.

La Sala was founded by arts administrator/advocate Irene Gómez, visual artist/arts administrator Miguel Guillén, musician/arts manager Tony Gómez, lawyer/writer Catalina Cantú and writer/teacher/translater Wendy Call. Since 2007, La Sala has connected museums, galleries, and arts and cultural organizations to Latinx artists and arts educators—and vice versa. La Sala has worked, often behind the scenes, to raise the profile of Latinx artists and arts initiatives. It is the only arts organization in King County serving the Latinx arts community in all disciplines, by forging connections, developing careers, and creating arts experiences of the scale and quality to make Latinx artists competitive within the larger arts community.

Over the years, La Sala has collaborated with many organizations to create temporary arts spaces and events that center the Latinx community, including the former Benham Gallery in downtown Seattle, Bellevue Art Musuem, Centilia of El Centro de la Raza, CoCA (Center on Contemporary Art) Seattle, Good Arts Building in Pioneer Square, the Seattle Public Library, to mention just a few. We have organized and curated arts events, exhibitions, performances, and professional development opportunities throughout Seattle, including Pioneer Square, the Central District, Capitol Hill, SoDo, South Park, White Center, and Beacon Hill —as well as in Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, and other suburbs.