Mayra Cecilia Palafox shares with me why connecting with people and meeting their needs is so important to her. We discuss why humility is a useful practice for the present moment. When dealing with the uncertainty of a worldwide pandemic, what strengths do we have as cultural workers that prepare us to weather challenges as they present themselves? We also welcome a special guest, José Alfredo Guerrero, a musician and educator who reminds us of the strength and joy we gain from music.

Mayra Cecilia Palafox is an artist and arts administrator based in Chicago and originally from Michoacan, Mexico. She is an alumna from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is interested in how Spanish speaking immigrant communities can have an active role in public engagement through collaborations with other cultural institutions, music, food and featuring local visual artists. Mayra has worked at the Field Museum of Natural History, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Historical Society and is now a museum educator at the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago. 

José Alfredo Guerrero is an educator and musician who grew up in Chicago's La Villita.  A graduate of DePaul University’s School of Music (BM ‘11) he is member of Madera Once, a four-piece band that pays tribute to Mexican-regional and traditional music with a contemporary spin. Madera Once's mission is to keep Mexican and Latin American music alive as it forges a new identity through the musician and audience's lived experiences within the U.S. They recently released their debut EP: amado. Available on all streaming platforms. 

Show Notes: 

Instagram: @mayraceciliapalafox  

Instagram: @josealfredochicago

Facebook: Madera Once

Met Museum Prepares for $100 Million Loss and Closure Till July

No Tengo Dinero - Juan Gabriel 

For questions or feedback contact Paula Santos at culturaconscious@gmail.com.