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| Cal Poly Pomona Downtown Center |
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| The Cal Poly Pomona Downtown Center features galleries, classrooms and theater programs. |
To share and preserve the rich traditional arts of the diverse people living in the Pomona Valley, Cal Poly Pomona is introducing a monthly event for the public called Cultural Café.
Held the fourth Saturday of each month at the Cal Poly Pomona Downtown Center, Cultural Café will highlight different cultures and traditions throughout the year, ranging from fashion shows to book readings.
“The program can provide a forum for groups to educate usabout their art, poetry, story telling, dance, music, language, and way of life,” said College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences Dean Barbara Way. “It is a way of honoring the achievements of all cultures and of educating the broader community about each other. In the long run, the program may help to create more harmony in the community.”
Upcoming Cultural Café events include:
- The Asian and Pacific Islander Student Center at Cal Poly Pomona will host “Meditation for Beginners” on July 27, from 4 to 6 p.m. This free event introduces the theory and practice of Dhammakaya meditation, which can help individuals find peace, happiness and inner wisdom. Representatives from the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center will demonstrate vegetable and fruit carving and then teach meditation and relaxation exercises. For more information, please contact Dora Lee at (909) 869-5025.
- The Cesar Chavez Center for Higher Education at Cal Poly Pomona is organizing “An Evening of Reading and Books” on Aug. 24, from 4 to 6 p.m. Local Latino bookstores will display cultural books and art. Volunteers will also hold bilingual reading circles for children. For more information, please contact Corina Benevides at (909) 869-5039.
- Local clothing stores will feature “The Fuss” fashion show on the evening of Sept. 28 (time to be announced). This free event seeks to answer what all the fuss is about in fashion, from hand-made couture to vintage and punk rock. For more information, please contact Manuel Ortega at (909) 469-0080.
- “Out and Proud Family Celebration,” an evening to celebrate sexual diversity and expand the traditional notion of family,will be held Oct. 26 from 4 to 9 p.m. Hosted by the Cal Poly Pomona Pride Center, Lavendar Life and the Family Pride Coalition, the event features dinner, music, a photo collage mural project, and films about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families. Tickets are $10 general admission and free for children 13 and under. For more information, please call Jonnie Owens at (909) 869-3064.
- Native American Indian and African American Diaspora artists come together to share contemporary forms of expression, including hip-hop and spoken word at “Hip-Hop Fusion” on Nov. 23 from 4 to 6 p.m. This free event is presented by the African American
Student Center and Native American Student Center. For more information, please contact Katrina Hammonds or Enrique Salgado at (909) 869-5007.
All events will be held at the Cal Poly Pomona Downtown Center, located at 300 W. Second St. in the Pomona Arts Colony. To perform at a Cultural Café, call Rebecca Gutierrez-Keeton at (909) 869-3305.