American Artscape Sneak Peek: Vanessa Sanchez of La Mezcla


By Paulette Beete
Vanessa Sanchez, who is a Mexican woman performs on a wooden platform. She is holding an orange scarf

Vanessa Sanchez of La Mezcla. Photo by Danica Paulos, courtesy of Jacob's Pillow

"I think sometimes the arts open things up in a different way. Not everyone's going to open up and read a book. Not everyone's going to go to a site and talk to people. But if they're at a show, a performance, a concert, some kind of artistic presentation, it becomes more of a holistic learning, right? You’re not just reading an article, but you're feeling it, you're hearing it, you're seeing it in a dynamic way. I think sometimes that draws different people in. One of the things I learned in this process of interviewing [people for our piece Ghostly Labor] is how passionate and proud farmworkers are of their work. That’s something that doesn't get told in the news articles. What you're looking at in the news articles is suffering. I think it's important to [show] there is joy, there is passion. I think through the arts it gives a chance to tell those stories more directly." — Vanessa Sanchez, La Mezcla

In the next issue of American Artscape, we are uplifting the voices of Hispanic and Latinx artists and Hispanic and Latinx-serving arts organizations. In addition to La Mezcla, the table of contents includes DC's GALA Hispanic Theater, Phoenix-based CALA Alliance, and more! Stay tuned to our social media channels to find out when the new issue goes live.