For decades, San Fernando Recreational Park has been the place where the Latino community has gathered for art and cultural events.
The park is located in the small, independent city of San Fernando. A town that is only 2.4 square miles – a mostly Latino city with a significant immigrant community and generations of Mexican American families that together make up its 24,000 residents.
In this tight-knit community, many are beneficiaries of its notable art community, where both children and adults can take mariachi music and folklorico dance classes from professional performers at their local parks.
Uniquely, the “artivists” living in this small historic town have been the community’s teachers who have oftentimes volunteered their time.
San Fernando is an art nest of musicians, singers, folklorico dancers and visual artists who for years have promoted the art and Mexican culture that reflects their neighborhoods.
At the same time, they’ve expressed the need for adequate spaces to showcase and share their work.
“We have enough talent here that we could use a brick and mortar performance art center, but without the possibility of funding, we have made the park our outdoor art and cultural center,” said dance instructor Javier Verdin.
With his big signature laugh, Verdin shared that he is so connected to the arts community, he has officially been given a volunteer position as the cultural arts liaison for the city.
Virginia Diediker, formerly the City of San Fernando Cultural Arts Supervisor, for years worked out of an office right next to the Recreational Park’s gym.
Although now retired, she is credited with establishing the foundation and developing successful events with concerts and art programs at the park. She successfully connected the city’s art programs generated from the park with local schools.
Creating Arts Programs through Parks and Recs
A major example of connecting those dots has been the successful creation of the Mariachi Master Apprentice Program (MMAP). This program was the brainchild of Diediker and the late master musician Nati Cano, who was the founder of the renowned Mariachi Los Camperos. Their idea was to have students from area schools in the community learn directly from master mariachi musicians.
The MMAP students readily embraced the music they felt culturally connected to and through this program, from the start, they’ve learned from the very best in this musical genre.
A Master teacher for the students in MMAP is ethnomusicologist and educator Sergio “Checo” Alonso. Alonso is the harpist for Mariachi Los Camperos and a music teacher at San Fernando High School.
The MMAP Program, as part of the Parks and Recreation Department for the city of San Fernando, is a “logical pathway,” said Alonso. “Because we are a program from the community … it is definitely different from the confines of a school setting. The park’s outdoor stage is a public canvas.”
While the students in the program receive most of their instruction at their schools, the “art of performance” is taught to the students as they play on the park’s stage before an audience.
The MMAP program became so successful that it was recognized as the “Best After-School Program” in the nation. The young students performed at the Obama White House and the Kennedy Center. They are now frequently requested and regularly perform at city events.
Alonso, who not only teaches at the local high school, proudly shares that he lives in the Northeast San Fernando Valley. He is one of the key members of the local art community who has helped to fill in the gaps.
“From the lens as a community member,” said Alonso. “Visual and music performances in the park are free and give everyone access to art. Having access to these spaces is really vital to a thriving, healthy community.
“In more affluent areas, they readily have access to art; here we are considered a marginalized community, why shouldn’t we have the same access?” he asks.
Los Pavulitos is Alonso’s youngest Mariachi group of students who begin instruction at 7 years old. As they finish playing their songs on the outdoor stage, Alonso gives them big praise for “completing the assignment.” He says they are “on their way to building confidence”.
He gets to know their families and many of his students continue to play through college. Some have become professional Mariachi musicians themselves and have entered other impressive careers.
It’s a unique experience to perform at the park in front of an audience for the first time in front of your parents, family and the public, said Alonso. He has seen a link between arts participation and student success.
“As an educator, my philosophy for music education is giving opportunities to students to develop that experiential knowledge outside of the classroom. The skills they develop by being in the community, being outside of the classroom, are essential,” he said.
Learning an art form like mariachi music is culturally relevant and enriching for his students.
As a performer who has played at San Fernando Recreational Park too many times to count, he graces the park’s stage right next to his students and professionally with Los Camperos.
Diediker and Verdin are equally instrumental in their support of giving opportunities to young artists. They are the co-founders of Ballet Folklorico Ollin and, like Alonso, have taught hundreds of performers who also have performed for the very first time at San Fernando Recreation Park – their neighborhood park.
Diediker also notes a long list of celebrated performers who enjoy performing at San Fernando’s Rec Park. They include – Thee Midniters, Poncho Sanchez, Ricardo Lemvo, Afro Cuban Rhythms, Son de Madera, Quetzal, Chico, Tierra, Johnny Blas, Latin Jazz, P zazz and many more.
“There is no better staging to unite our communities than to utilize our parks,” said Diediker. “Our residents as well as community artists both benefit. Artists are provided a platform to engage audiences in an open and non-threatening space.”
Verdin, with a booming voice in both English and Spanish, is the Master of Ceremonies at most of these events; he is called “La Voz del Valle.” He enjoys helping to boost the young performers, giving them big introductions and he encourages the audience to give them loud applause.
Park spaces, they agree, used for positive gatherings, develop healthy neighborhoods and can eliminate stigmas.
“The arts turn strangers into neighbors and neighbors into communities that are more livable, joyful, and vibrant,” said Diediker. “They unify us as a nation, and they strengthen our collective voice.”
Despite the benefits, they all agree that using parks for art instruction, performance and cultural events can’t be taken for granted. Support is always needed to counter the powers that be who see the arts as expendable and the first budget item to cut.
When Verdin thinks about this, he recalls the words of his grandfather. “A town without art is dead.”
Transforming Park Space
At San Fernando Rec Park, events always include both visual art and performance. From cultural events that include Dia de Los Muertos and holiday celebrations, to their annual summer concert series, there have also been theater performances, 5K Runs and Relay for Life fundraisers.
While the park doesn’t have a designated performance space, this obstacle isn’t noticed as local artists transform the space.
They set and construct a stage with large backdrops created by local artists. Verdin, also the local MacGyver, is prepared to construct and set up the sound system, sometimes brought from his own home studio.
For Dia de Los Muertos, noted artist Lalo Garcia created large panels of playful, dancing calacas and catrinas (skeletons).
The community does the rest – setting up altares throughout the park to honor their loved ones, each one a loving art piece with photos and cherished articles filled with memories. The altars are blessed with sage as local danzantes (Aztec dancers) weave through the space, followed by a Catholic priest’s blessing of holy water.
For a time, as one artist reflected, the park becomes sacred space – a shared experience among the community. They share memories of their loved ones, and admire each other’s ofrendas. When the day turns to dust, they say goodbye to old and new friends by giving each other abrazos (hugs).
“I don’t know what we’d do without this park,” said Verdin.