>> SOMEONE DONATED, SOMEONE LEFT A LEGACY.

GENERATIONS OF GENEROUS SOMEONE HAVE HELPED SHAPE RHODE ISLAND INTO THIS AMAZING PLACE WE CALL HOME.

HOW DO YOU THINK THEM?

BY LEAVING YOUR OWN LEGACY.

WE CAN HELP.

[CLOSED CAPTIONING HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY CARDI'S FURNITURE AND MATTRESSES] ♪ PETER: WELCOME TO ANOTHER ADDITION OF IN ANOTHER OPINION.

A PUBLIC INFORMATION PROGRAM WHERE WE DISCUSS ISSUES THAT IMPACT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND.

I AM TO HOST, PETER WELLS.

MY GUESTS TODAY ARE MARTA MARTINEZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF RHODE ISLAND LATINO ARTS, ALBERTO, FILMMAKER WITH RHODE ISLAND LATINO ARTS, AND HE IS THE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE AT THE FACILITY, AND KUFA, A PERFORMER AT THE RHODE ISLAND LATINO ARTS AND TEACHING ARTIST AT THE FACILITY.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

MARTA: THANKS.

PETER: IT IS MY PLEASURE.

WE DON'T GET A CHANCE TO TALK A LOT ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ART, AND I SHOULD A LOT MORE, BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY, WHAT IS GOING ON IN CERTAIN COMMUNITIES IN TERMS OF ART.

THE RHODE ISLAND LATINO ARTS PROGRAM I HAVE FAMILIAR WITH BECAUSE MARTA HAS BEEN ON THE SHOW BEFORE.

THAT WAS A YEAR AGO, BEFORE COVID AND BEFORE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS.

A GOOD WAY TO START TODAY IS TO START WITH MY TALK, WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE PROGRAM?

HAS IT CHANGED?

JUST FILL US IN ON AN UPDATE.

MARTA: RIGHT.

AS IT WAS WITH EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE WORLD, WE DID SHUT DOWN, ESPECIALLY BEING AN ARTS FACILITY, WE HAD TO CLOSE OUR DOORS AND CANCEL OUR PROGRAMMING.

BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE WERE NOT BUSY DURING 2020.

I TRIED TO HELP OUT OUR ARTISTS BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, MANY OF THE ARTISTS, THAT IS THEIR LIVING.

SOME OF THEM HAVE DAYTIME JOBS, BUT THERE ARE OTHERS WHO LIVE ON THE ARTS.

THAT IS WHAT I FOCUSED ON, TRYING TO CREATE A PLATFORM ON WHAT THE REST OF THE WORLD DID, WE WENT ON ZOOM.

WE HAD SEVERAL PROGRAMMING'S AND IT WAS MAINLY TO KEEP OUR ARTISTS TOGETHER.

THE MOST SUCCESSFUL AND EXCITING PROGRAM THAT WE HAD WAS THE CREATION OF SEVERAL SHORT VIDEOS BY ALBERTO AND KUFA.

THAT IS THE MOST EXCITING THING THAT HAPPENED IN 2020.

PETER: I'M GOING TO GET TO KUFA AND ALBERTO IN A SECOND, BUT WHAT I WANTED TO FIND OUT AND MENTION, LAST MONTH WAS THAT LATINO BOOK MONTH.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE TIMING TO GET YOU IN AHEAD OF THAT -- CAN YOU TELL FOLKS ABOUT THE LATINO BOOK MONTH AND THEN WE WILL GET INTO SOME OF THE PROGRAMMING.

MARTA: THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.

THAT WAS ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT DID NOT FADE AWAY BECAUSE WHEN THE SCHOOLS WENT DARK OR WENT INTO DISTANCE-LEARNING, PART OF WHAT WE FELT WAS IMPORTANT WAS TO KEEP THE KIDS READING, PRIMARILY THE LARGE POPULATION OF LATINOS IN THE STATE, CONNECTED TO BOOKS BY BILINGUAL, LATINO AUTHORS, AND THAT IS THE MISSION OF THAT PROGRAM, TO HIGHLIGHT NOT JUST BOOKS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, BUT ARE WRITTEN BY LATINO, LATINX AUTHORS IN TWO BRIDGES.

WE DID HAVE THAT AND WE SPEND, FROM THE FALL TO APRIL, PROMOTING IT.

THEN IN MAY, BECAUSE MAY IS LATINO BOOKS MONTH, THEN WE REALLY PUSH IT OUT.

WE GET FREE BOOKS TO THE KIDS IN THE SCHOOL, WE STAY IN TOUCH WITH SCHOOL LIBRARIANS, LOCAL LIBRARIANS, AND THEIR TEACHERS, AND WE REALLY PROMOTE THE READING OF BILINGUAL THAT RICHER.

-- BILINGUAL LITERATURE.

THEN WE VOTE SELECT THE WINNERS.

WE HAVE NOT PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED THAT BUT IT JUST ENDED MAY 31.

PETER: WHERE'D YOU GET THE BOOKS?

MARTA: WE GET THEM DONATED BY PUBLISHING COMPANIES AND WE ALSO GET GRANT'S REVERIE PURCHASED THEM, SO WE SUPPLY THEM FOR FREE.

IF A SCHOOL WANTS TO PARTICIPATE OR A LIBRARY, THEY CONTACT US, WE GIVE THEM A COPY OF EVERY SINGLE BOOK, AND THE BOOKS RANGE FROM PRE-K TO HIGH SCHOOL.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT AGE LEVELS.

IF THEY WANT A BOOK, THEY CONTACT ME.

PETER: FANTASTIC.

THE GUYS HAVE BEEN REAL PATIENT AND I KNOW THEY WANT TO GET IN HERE AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST?

>>?

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING US.

MY NAME IS KUFA, A DOMINICAN ARTIST LIVING HERE.

I MAINLY DO MY ART IN PROVIDENCE AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH RILA FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, ADAPTING SHAKESPEARE PLAYS, MAKING MUSIC FOR A LOT OF THE VIDEOS WE CREATE.

WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER OVER 15 YEARS, YEAH?

WE STARTED TOGETHER AND THEN WE STARTED GRADING VIDEOS.

IT HAS BEEN BEAUTIFUL HOW WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EXPAND A GREAT ORGANIZATION LIKE RILA TO CELEBRATE TWO WE ARE, OUR FAMILIES, OUR CITY.

LAST YEAR WAS A TOUGH YEAR FOR ARTISTS.

FROM GATHERING WITH PEOPLE -- IT GAVE ME THE CHANCE, I HAD TO BUILD A HOME STUDIO, RECORDING STUDIOS.

I FEEL LIKE MY MUSIC PLAYING WAS ENLIGHTENED AGAIN JUST BY BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT TIME TO CONCENTRATE AT HOME.

PETER:.

GOOD.

GO AHEAD.

ALBERTO: I AM A FILMMAKER BASED OUT OF PROVIDENCE.

I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH RILA FOR A FEW YEARS, I HAVE DONE PROMOTIONAL WORK AND ALSO RECENTLY, 2020 WAS A ROUGH TIME FOR ME.

I DID NOT HAVE MUCH WORK.

MY TEST SAID, WE SHOULD CREATE SOME VIDEOS WITH DIFFERENT ARTISTS -- MARTA SAID WE SHOULD CREATE SOME VIDEOS WITH DIFFERENT ARTISTS DURING THE PANDEMIC.

IT WAS GREAT.

AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE MY HOUSE.

WE WERE ALL IN LOCKDOWN.

IT WAS GREAT LEAVING THE HOUSE AND CREATING, BEING ABLE TO WORK.

WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT PROJECTS WE ARE WORKING ON NOW IN THE PREPRODUCTION PROCESS.

I AM EXCITED.

PETER: WHAT IS YOUR ANCESTRY, WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

ALBERTO: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

PETER: WHEREABOUTS?

ALBERTO: SANTIAGO.

PETER: HOW ABOUT YOU?

KUFA: DOMINGO.

PETER: LISTEN, SO TELL ME SOME MORE ABOUT WHAT FILMS YOU HAVE DONE THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON, SOME THE VIEWERS MAY HAVE SEEN BEFORE, AND GET A SENSE OF SOME OF THE STUFF YOU ARE DOING.

>> I STARTED WITH MUSIC VIDEOS.

A LOT OF KUFA'S MUSIC VIDEOS, A LOT OF ARTISTS IN PROVIDENCE AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

IT WAS MAINLY MUSIC VIDEOS INTO SOME SHORT FILMS.

I WORKED WITH TRINITY CHRISTMAS CAROL.

DIFFERENT TORS THAT MARTA HAS DONE -- TOURS THAT MARTA HAS DONE.

RIGHT NOW, WE ARE IN THE PREPRODUCTION STAGES OF WORK ON A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE DOMINICAN CULTURE AND THE HISTORY OF DOMINICANS IN PROVIDENCE.

KUFA: THE HISTORY OF THE BLACKSTONE RIVER.

MAKING SURE THAT WE PUT UPFRONT THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR FROM THE BLACKSTONE VALLY AREA -- VALLEY AREA AND CELEBRATING THE RIVER THAT GIVES US S MUCH.

PETER: I USED TO PUBLISH A NEWSPAPER.

I HAVE A WEBSITE AND OFTEN, I PUT INFORMATION UP ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE BLACKSTONE VALLY AND THE RIVER -- VALLEY AND THE RIVER.

THERE IS A LOT GOING ON AND IT SHOULD BE USED MORE BY PEOPLE OF COLOR THAN IT IS RIGHT NOW.

AGAIN, THEY HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT IT.

THE TORS ARE GOING TO BE GOOD AND I WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THAT.

-- TOURS ARE GOING TO BE GOOD UNDER WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THAT.

MARTA: BARRIO TRANSLATES INTO NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT WAS PREDOMINANT LATINO NEIGHBORHOODS, ONE OF THEM IS BROAD STREET AND THE OTHER ONE IS DEXTER STREET AND THOSE ARE NOT JUST -- THEY ARE THE MOST COMMERCIALLY CENTERED STREETS AND EACH CITY, BUT THEY WERE BUILT BY THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE.

IN BROAD STREET, YOU SEE THE DOMINICAN BODEGAS AND BEAUTY SALONS.

I WOULD SAY THE MAJORITY OF LATINA BUSINESSES ARE FROM THE DOMINICAN.

THEN IN CENTRAL FALLS, THEY STARTED BEING COLOMBIAN.

NOW PART OF IT IS SHOWING OFF THE DIVERSITY WHICH REFLECTS THE POPULATION.

NOW IT IS TURNING MORE INTO THE MEXICAN AND GUATEMALAN COMMUNITIES.

TO SET UP THESE DOORS AND I WAS -- TOURS AND I WAS DOING RESEARCH ON BOTH COMMUNITIES AND IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE INTERESTING AND MORE RELEVANT TO HAVE SOME OF THE RESIDENTS OF EACH NEIGHBORHOOD GIVE THE TOUR'S THEMSELVES -- TOURS THEMSELVES.

MINE IS MORE SCHOLARLY AND RESEARCH-ORIENTED, BUT IT IS MORE FUN TO HEAR THE STORIES COME FROM THEIR MOUTHS.

SO THE RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN GIVING THE TOURS AND THOSE OTHER TWO VIDEOS THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.

WE MADE ONE OF BROAD STREET AND ONE OF DEXTER STREET AND THEY HIGHLIGHT THE AREAS OF THE TWO STREETS THAT I WAS NOT REALLY CONCENTRATING ON BECAUSE THE RESIDENTS TOLD ME THAT THOSE OTHER PLACES THAT WERE SPECIAL TO THEM.

PETER: WHEN YOU SAY TOURS, IS IT A WALKING TOUR, A VISUAL -- A VIDEO TOUR?

MARTA: A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.

WE STARTED WITH WALKING TOURS IN 2018, 2019.

WE GAVE THEM DURING THE SUMMER AND RESCHEDULED THEM AND PEOPLE COULD GO ON OUR WEBSITE AND SIGN UP AND THEN THEY WOULD MEET AT A SPECIFIC LOCATION AND WE WOULD TAKE THEM ON THE TOUR.

WHEN WE CLOSED EVERYTHING DOWN, THAT IS WHY WE CREATED THE VIDEOS.

WE THOUGHT WE STILL WANTED PEOPLE TO ENJOY ALL THE INFORMATION, SO THEY ARE VIRTUAL.

WE ALSO PUT THEM ON OUR WEBSITE SO YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A MAP AND GO ON THE WEBSITE AND FOLLOW THE TOURS.

PETER: IF YOU CARE TO, YOU CAN SEND THEM TO ME AND I WILL PUT THEM ON MY WEBSITE.

MARTA: GREAT, YEAH.

ONE OF THE PROJECT THAT WE DID THAT IS RELATED TO THE TOURS LAST SUMMER IN AUGUST IS ALSO IN COMBINATION WITH PROVIDING AN OUTLET FOR ALBERTO TO CREATE HIS VIDEOS.

I HIRED TWO LOCAL VISUAL ARTISTS THAT ALSO LIVE ON BROAD STREET AND WE CREATED SOME STREET ART.

WE CHOSE TWO BUSINESSES, ONE BUSINESS IN PARTICULAR, THAT SEEMED TO BE STRUGGLING.

IT WAS A WAY TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES AND REPAINTED THIS BEAUTIFUL EURO ON THE CORNER -- MURAL ON THE CORNER OF OXFORD AND BROAD STREET IN FRONT OF A RESTAURANT AND BE BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER OUT OF THEIR HOMES.

IT WAS A TIME WHERE WE WANTED TO GET OUT AND WE WERE CAREFUL IN TERMS OF THE SOCIAL DISTANCING.

THE ARTISTS PAINTED SOME BEAUTIFUL, COLORFUL STREET ART, SIDEWALK ART, AND ACROSS THE STREET, WE HAD ANOTHER ONE ON THE STREET.

ALBERTO SPENT THE WHOLE TIME RECORDING IT OR FILLING IT AND MADE IT A VIDEO.

PETER: I HAVE SEEN IT.

I SAW IT WHEN IT WAS BEING DONE.

I AM OUT AND ABOUT AND ALL OF THOSE COMMUNITIES ALMOST EVERY DAY.

I GO BY THE MUSEUM OFTEN.

MARTA: NICE.

THIS SUMMER, WE ARE DOING ANOTHER ONE.

IT IS GOING TO BE DONE IN FRONT OF EL NINJA.

THEY INVITED US, AND THEY ARE EXCITED.

WE ARE GOING TO START WORKING ON THAT MURAL HOPEFULLY AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.

PETER: LET ME GET BACK TO THE GUYS FOR A MINUTE.

IS ANY SPECIAL PROJECTS BEYOND WHAT MARTA IS TALKING ABOUT THAT YOU GUYS ARE THINKING ABOUT DOING THAT REFLECTS THE CULTURE OF THE COMMUNITY?

ALBERTO: THERE ARE A FEW SHORT FILMS WE HAVE IN MIND THAT ARE GOING TO BE BASED ON DIFFERENT THINGS.

PETER: ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SHARE?

KUFA: THIS PROJECT, WE WERE INSPIRED BY THE FOOD TRUCKS ON BROAD STREET.

THERE ARE OVER 14 FOOD TRUCKS, EACH ONE OF THEM SELLING SOMETHING DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT FLAVORS.

ALL OF THEM HAVE BEAUTIFUL NAMES.

WE ARE INSPIRED BY THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP OF THAT AND HOW DO YOU SEE PEOPLE USE WHAT THEY HAVE TO CREATE A LIVING.

YOU SEE A GUY USING A CART SELLING ICE CREAM, YOU SEE A GUY USING A CART TO SELFRIDGES.

IT IS BEAUTIFUL AND INSPIRING.

IN THE DOCUMENTARY, WE ARE PUTTING AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE FOOD TRUCKS AND THE SMALL BUSINESSES ON BROAD STREET.

IT IS NICE ALSO TO RECONNECT AFTER A YEAR OF BEING A PART, WITH SUCH A LIVELY STREET, A LIVELY NEIGHBORHOOD.

PETER: LIKE I HAVE MENTIONED, I HAVE BEEN TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SEVERAL TIMES.

I LIVED IN PUERTO RICO FOR FOUR YEARS AND WORKED IN THE CARIBBEAN.

WHEN I WAS IN D.R., I NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE ISSUES IS PUTTING MUCH EVERYBODY IS AN ENTREPRENEUR.

EVERYBODY DOES SOMETHING TO AUGMENT THE FAMILY BECAUSE THERE MAY NOT BE A REGULAR CLOCK TO 5:00 JOB FOR SOMEBODY TO GO TO.

-- REGULAR 9:00 TO 5:00 JOB FOR SOMEBODY TO GO TO.

THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO RHODE ISLAND THROUGH THE DOMINICAN CULTURE AND THE PUERTO RICAN CULTURE TO SOME DEGREE, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS THE DOMINICAN CULTURE.

KUFA: MY FAMILY ARRIVED IN 1994 AND MY MOTHER STARTED WORKING, WE MOVED ON ELMWOOD STREET AND SHE WORKED IN THE JEWELRY BUSINESS.

SHE WAS AN ACCOUNTANT BACK HOME BUT BECAUSE OF THE LANGUAGE TRANSFER -- RHODE ISLAND, BEING THE JEWELRY CAPITAL OF THE U.S., SHE USED TO BUY THEM IN BULK, GET ON THE TRANSPORTATION BUSES, GO TO NEW YORK CITY.

WE USED TO GO SALON TO SALON SELLING THE JEWELRY.

I YOUTH TO HELP HER WITH THE BAGS.

THE INTERNET -- I USED TO HELP HER WITH THE BACKS.

THE INTERNET KILLED THAT BUSINESS.

IT WAS A LOT OF WAYS TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE A LIVING.

PETER: BOTH OF YOU ARE ARTISTS.

VIDEO VERSUS ACTING, I GUESS?

WOULD THAT BE FAIR TO SAY?

KUFA: YEAH.

PETER: ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH ANY OF THE THEATER GROUPS, LIKE TRINITY, YOURSELF AS AN ACTOR?

JANET HE OR MAYBE THE RIGHTS AND REASONS OR THE ONE IN PENN BUCKET?

KUFA: I HAVE WORKED WITH ALL OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.

OVER THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE WORKING ON A TRANSLATION -- ADAPTATION OF DON QUIXOTE.

WE WERE ON ZOOM FOR FOUR HOURS RE-CREATING AND IMPROVISING TO CREATE A NEW PLAY OF DON QUIXOTE, WHICH IS STILL IN THE WORKS.

IT WAS HARD TO DO THEATER ONLINE .

REALLY HARD.

BUT IT WAS FUN.

IT KEPT ME ON MY FEET.

PETER: IT ALSO LETS YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO IT, THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE ABLE TO DO IT BETTER BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT THE PITFALLS ARE.

KUFA: WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE ROPES, YEAH.

MARTA: ONE OF THE THINGS I LEARNED IS I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

WE LEARNED THAT WE CAN DO IT, BUT THEATER, YOU NEED LIVE THEATER.

PEOPLE NEED TO CONNECT.

WE ARE ALREADY PUTTING TOGETHER OR TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER OUR PROGRAMMING AND PEOPLE ARE EAGER TO KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

WE NEED TO COME IN PERSON AND ENJOY ART FIRSTHAND.

WE DID LEARN.

ONE THING I LEARNED IS THAT, THEATER AT LEAST, DOES NOT BELONG ONLINE.

PETER: I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.

THE OTHER FACTOR DURING COVID, SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING, BUT I AGREE WITH YOU.

AS A KID GROWING UP IN MANHATTAN , I WAS FORCED BY MY DAD TO GO TO THEATER, TO BROADWAY.

I LOOK BACK AT IT NOW AND SAY, WHAT A TREASURE THAT WAS, BUT BACK THEN, I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AS HAPPY ABOUT IT ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

MARTA: THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS.

I GET THE SAME STORIES FROM MY KIDS LIKE, BACK THEN, THEY WERE DREADING WHENEVER I DRAGGED THEM OUT, BUT NOW, THEY APPRECIATE IT.

THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH SOME OTHER SKIDS -- WITH SOME OF THE KIDS.

IT ISN'T UNTIL YOU PUT IT IN FRONT OF THEM, WHETHER IT IS THROUGH THEATER OR BOOKS FOR THE KIND OF ART THAT WE DO, IT IS ALL CULTURAL.

IT IS ABOUT THEM.

WE BRING BILINGUAL BOOKS AND WE BRING BILINGUAL THEATER AND WE BRING LATINX, BILINGUAL INDIVIDUALS THAT LOOK LIKE THEM.

THAT IN ITSELF, A LIGHT BULB GOES OFF.

WAIT A MINUTE, THAT IS WHO I AM.

THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE DOING.

PETER: I DON'T KNOW, WE ARE PROBABLY GETTING CLOSE TO TIME.

ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY SPECIFICALLY, EACH ONE OF YOU, TO THE VIEWERS ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING, ABOUT WHAT RILA IS DOING?

MARTA: GO AHEAD.

KUFA: I THINK THE CELEBRATION OF THE DIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE AND THE LATINX COMMUNITY IS SOMETHING THAT WE CELEBRATE AND THROUGH IT, WE FIND OUT SO MUCH FAMILY HISTORY.

I HAVE BEEN DOING SO MANY WORKS IN ENGLISH AND HAVING MY FAMILY FINALLY UNDERSTAND AND FEEL CONNECTED IN SPANISH WAS EVERYTHING TO ME.

I FEEL LIKE WE ARE GOING TO KEEP CELEBRATING THAT, PUTTING THAT IN THE FOREFRONT.

ALBERTO: I FEEL LIKE MYLA MEANS A LOT TO ME -- RILA MEANS A LOT TO ME BECAUSE I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM RILA.

THE HISTORY OF THE DOMINICANS.

THE FIRST MINUTE CAN IMMIGRANT TO COME TO PROVIDENCE.

-- FIRST DOMINICAN IMMIGRANT TO COME TO PROVIDENCE.

GROWING UP, I WOULD LOOK AT OTHER FROM DIRECTORS AND NONE OF THEM LOOKED LIKE ME.

JUST WHAT WE ARE DOING FOR THE YOUTH IS AMAZING.

LOOKING UP TO US.

ALSO, OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR FOOD, WE HAVE THESE AMAZING PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME.

IT IS NOT JUST DOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE.

IT IS MORE IN RHODE ISLAND THAN JUST DOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE.

PETER: THAT IS WHY SO MANY OF THESE FILM COMPANIES COME TO RHODE ISLAND, BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT ONLY THE VISUAL DIFFERENCES, THE OCEAN, THE WOODS, THE MOUNTAINS, AND THE CITY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE CHANGE OF SEASONS, WHICH MIXED -- WHICH MAKES RHODE ISLAND AN IDEAL PLACE TO FILM THERE IS KINDS OF MOVIES.

MARTA: WE ALSO HAVE THE DIVERSITY.

PETER: THAT IS TRUE.

MARTA: WE REPRESENT EVERY CULTURE.

AFRICAN, AFRICAN-AMERICAN, LATINO, EVERY SINGLE COUNTRY, THE 21 COUNTRIES IN LATIN AMERICA ARE ALL REPRESENTED, THE ASIAN COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE SUCH A DIVERSE STATE AND YOU CAN CAPTURE IT IN ONE DAY IF YOU WANTED TO BECAUSE WE ARE SO SMALL.

PETER: WHEN I FIRST CAME, ONE OF THE THINGS I NOTICED, BECAUSE I WAS IN GOVERNMENT, WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE, I THOUGHT IT WAS SO GREAT THAT I COULD GET TO ALL FOUR OF THE CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES, THE TWO SENATORS AND TWO CONGRESSMEN IN ONE DAY.

MARTA: THAT IS RIGHT.

YOU DON'T APPRECIATE IT UNTIL YOU LEAVE HOW LUCKY YOU ARE THAT YOU CAN DRIVE TO THE STATEHOUSE IN FIVE MINUTES.

PETER: ABSOLUTELY.

MARTA: I DO WANT TO SAY THAT WE HAD OUR FIRST REOPENING YESTERDAY OF THE GALLERY, WHICH IS OUR CULTURAL CENTER.

WE OPENED IT YESTERDAY, IT WAS AN OPEN HOUSE, AND WE ARE GOING TO POST OUR OPEN HOURS.

I AM EAGER TO GET PEOPLE BACK IN HERE.

IN ADDITION TO THE FILM WE CREATED, WE HAD ARTISTS WE ATE PAINTINGS -- ARTISTS CREATE PAINTINGS AND IT HAS BEEN SITTING THERE, TAKING UP ROOM AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO ENJOY IT AND WE HOPE PEOPLE COME THROUGH.

PETER: VERY GOOD.

I KNOW A FRIEND OF MINE HAD A GALLERY ON BROADWAY.

UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THE COVID, SHE WAS FORCED TO CLOSE IT DOWN, GO ONLINE FOR A WHILE.

I THINK SHE HAS PLANS TO COME BACK.

MARTA: WE NEED MORE CALORIES LIKE THAT.

PETER: -- CALORIES LIKE THAT.

PETER: -- GALLERIES LIKE THAT.

PETER: WHAT ABOUT NEW SPACE?

MARTA: EVERY TIME WE GO TO A NEW SPACE, WITHIN A MONTH, WE OUTGROW IT.

THE LATINO COMMUNITY WANTS A BIGGER PLACE TO CELEBRATE THEIR CULTURE.

MANY OF OUR CULTURES, NOT JUST LATINOS, THAT IS WHO WE ARE.

WE ARE THE FOOD WE EAT, WE ARE THE MUSIC WE LISTEN TO, WE ARE THE THEATER THAT WE DO.

CULTURAL CENTERS ARE SPECIAL BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO COME HERE WANT TO ENJOY ALL OF THAT.

I HOPE SO.

I WOULD NOT MIND MOVING BACK TO PROVIDENCE.

I AM IN CENTRAL FALLS RIGHT NOW.

POSSIBLY OPEN A SECOND, LARGER LOCATION.

WE ARE LOOKING INTO THAT.

PETER: I WAS GOING TO ASK IF YOU STILL HAD THE OFFICES AT THE CHURCH ON BROADWAY.

MARTA: I DO.

IT IS JUST A VERY SMALL SPACE THAT I USE.

WE NEED A PLACE OF OUR OWN.

I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE ARTISTS THAT WE NEEDED.

I'M GOING TO LOOK INTO IT -- WE NEED IT.

I'M GOING TO LOOK INTO IT.

PETER: KUFA, YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING?

KUFA: NO, I THINK -- PETER: I THOUGHT I SAW YOUR HAND GO UP.

OK.

LISTEN, WE HOPE THAT YOU DO FIND THAT A SPACE AND GET IT TO MOVE.

-- AND GET TO MOVE.

THE MORE SPACE YOU ARE GOING TO NEED, MORE PARKING, SO PEOPLE CAN VISIT.

LET ME ASK A QUESTION.

YOU HAVE A NEW MAYOR IN CENTRAL FALLS.

WHO IS LETTING.

-- IS LATINA.

HAVE YOU HAD ANY CONTACT WITH THAT OFFICE?

MARTA: WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP.

THE MAYOR BEFORE WAS ALSO LATINO.

WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP.

MARIA IN PARTICULAR IS INTERESTED IN THE CULTURAL ARTS.

SHE IS PUERTO RICAN.

SHE IS THE FIRST PUERTO RICAN MAYOR IN NEW ENGLAND.

BEFORE SHE BECAME MAYOR, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DOING PROGRAMMING.

THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUE.

WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO STRENGTHEN THAT RELATIONSHIP.

PETER: THAT IT'S GOOD TO HEAR.

I HATE TO TELL YOU WHAT A HALF-HOUR CAUSED BY FASTING WE HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME BUT I WANT TO THINK TODAY'S GUESTS, MARTA, KUFA, AND ALBERTO.

AND YOU, THE VIEWERS, FOR TUNING IN.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO PBS FOR MAKING THIS SHOW POSSIBLE.

I AM YOUR HOST, PETER WELLS.

GIVE US YOUR OPINION ON FACEBOOK AT IN ANOTHER OPINION AND HAVE A GREAT DAY.

♪ [CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CAPTION CONTENT AND ACCURACY.

VISIT NCICAP.ORG] ♪ >> SOMEONE GAVE, SOMEONE DONATED, SOMEONE LEFT A LEGACY.