The NEWSED Community Development Corporation first started serving Colorado in 1973 and has primarily been focused on solving long-term economic problems in disadvantaged communities. The organization has accomplished solving some of those problems through coordinating resources for neighborhood revitalization, developing shopping areas and services, fostering minority and neighborhood business ownership, hosting cultural events and activities highlighting the Latino population, and much more.
Today, NEWSED offers a variety of services to the community including housing counseling, lending, affordable housing options, resources for small businesses, and other services.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, NEWSED is preparing to host its longstanding Civil Rights Awards, honoring organizations and others. This year’s theme for the 32nd Civil Rights Awards gives a nod to 50 years of NEWSED’s impact in the state and takes place this Thursday, Oct. 19.
Among those who will be honored include the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council, Museo de las Americas, Redline Contemporary Art Center, Carlos Sandoval, and Steven Lucero.
Andrea Barela, the CEO and president of NEWSED, said in a phone call with LaVozColorado that NEWSED celebrating its anniversary is also about celebrating the organization’s partnerships. She said the Civil Rights Awards event is a great night to recap NEWSED’s year while recognizing community members and organizations for the good work they do.
“We have this long history of shining the light on individuals and organizations that are playing their part to build a more equitable society. That’s why we do (the Civil Rights Awards),” said Barela.
Barela said the best way to support NEWSED’s work is to visit https://newsed.org/donate/ to donate to the organization’s work.
Below are organizations and people NEWSED will be honoring at its Civil Rights Awards event.
Chicano Humanities and Arts Council
The Chicano Humanities Arts Council was founded in 1978 and is one of the state’s oldest Latino nonprofit organization. The organization is an inclusive community of all creatives that are dedicated to preserving, showcasing, educating and reflecting the essence of Chicana/o/x, Latina/o/x, and other multicultural multiracial communities.
Museo de las Americas
Museo de las Americas is a Latin American Art Museum that celebrates artistic and cultural achievements of communities. The museum is dedicated to educating the community through collecting, preserving, interpreting, and exhibiting Latin America arts and cultures. Each year Museo de las Americas presents three to five exhibitions in its main gallery.
The museum’s two smaller galleries each feature items from its private collections that are curated by Museo de Las Americas’ curatorial department.
Redline Contemporary Art Center
The Redline Contemporary Art Center is an arts organization that fosters education and engagement between artists and communities to create positive social change. The nonprofit organization has launched more than 125 resident artists and engaged more than 10,400 students at underresourced schools.
It offers 12-15 curated exhibits a year, 18 resident artist studios, and a community studio for educational programing and community events.
Carlos Sandoval
Carlos Sandoval has had several art exhibits and projects ranging from public art commissions, corporate work, murals, and sculptures in Colorado and other places.
His notable work includes his “Sierra y Colores” mural, located in the heart of San Luis and his “Synthesis” mural which was commissioned by the Mexican government in 1980 in the town of Ixtapa Zihatanejo.
Sandoval was born in San Luis and has had a long and storied career showcasing and representing his own style and cultural interpretation.
Steven Lucero (posthumous award)
Steven Lucero was one of the founding members of the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council and was a staple in Denver’s art scene for decades.
He had two unique styles of painting, one of which he called Metaphysical Fantastic Realism which evolved into what he later called Meta Realism. He also developed
“Neo-Precolumbian Art” and has revisioned images of Pre-Columbian Mexico into new vibrant paintings. His work was recently featured in Meo Wolf’s Convergence Station.
Lucero passed away in late 2021.
