Great Barrington — Mayra Rodriguez has long believed in the power of the arts to pull humanity forward, give us hope, and provide a different way of seeing the world—in light of both our shared experiences and myriad differences. This belief led her to join the Spanish-language Community Advisory Network (SCAN), a group of individuals with an avid interest in the arts—whether as painters or patrons, photographers or visual learners—who are working to reduce barriers for Spanish-speaking residents keen on accessing the region’s robust fine and performing arts programming. As part of an ongoing effort to welcome a diverse array of neighbors to area arts organizations, SCAN is again partnering with Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires (VIM) to host a free Spanish language screening of Disney’s “McFarland, USA” at The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, on Saturday, October 29 at 7 p.m.
“We knew we needed to find better channels to reach Latinx audiences and that we needed to reduce social and practical barriers to attendance, but year-after-year efforts with SCAN have taken us even further,” said Mahaiwe Executive Director Janis Martinson. Last year, film screenings organized by SCAN drew upwards of 200 Latino patrons; this year, organizers hope to welcome even more in a series that kicked off in September with an outdoor screening of “Encanto”—although efforts go far beyond the big screen.
“SCAN Advisors are not only making videos and appearing on radio shows to promote programs, they are actually shaping the programs—through suggestions and leveraging their own artistic connections—and becoming a part of the Mahaiwe itself, with regular attendance, service on committees, and in one case, becoming an employee,” said Martinson who was named executive director in December 2020 after serving as acting director since January of that year.
Three years ago, the joint venture received funding from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation (BTCF) to form an advisory network to explore how to engage with the greater community; today, the Mahaiwe—and by extension SCAN—remains a key partner and grantee of the BTCF Arts Build Community initiative, aimed at breaking barriers and attracting new audiences. With help from new members like Rodriguez, the group remains committed to influencing a new level of programming, identifying issues for all organizations to consider, with the goal of making genuine connections and building trust with the Latin community.
“My value system is all about creating inclusive environments,” said Rodriguez (a former ESL and special education teacher by training) who came to SCAN with a question for her colleagues: How do we make our community more inclusive on all kinds of levels?
“It’s been great to be able to have all kinds of Latinos—who are the bulk of our service people in this area—be part of, and access, art,” Rodriguez said, underscoring the role of SCAN: “[We have] a responsibility not only to just come to the table but also to ensure our voices are heard.” As such, Rodriguez is settling into her reputation as “that force that sort of likes to make us look deeper into ourselves,” she told The Edge, something she is also willing to do. Rodriguez’s joining SCAN was a bit of serendipity. While tutoring an individual through LitNet, she got the idea to use an argumentative essay as motivation for one of her learners (an arts enthusiast with a bachelor’s degree) as to why they would make a good candidate for SCAN; the English-language learner not only accepted the challenge, but invited Rodriguez to join in.
“Lo and behold, we were both selected,” said Rodriguez who, ever the educator, seeks to clarify that—while all SCAN members are Latino—the conversation is free from issues surrounding race. In fact, “the same issues that many different diverse communities experience, we as a group also experience,” she said, pointing to how some countries feel they speak Spanish better than others or that there are people who are more educated than others.
“Sometimes we may not all agree on the way we approach things but, as a teacher, I see it as a learning experience for all of us,” said Rodriguez who feels this work is more important than ever. “Historically, [Latinos have] been marginalized and we’ve been seen as other,” she said, an issue that was heightened during the previous administration. As to the remedy? “If we can open people’s eyes to see the beauty in the diversity, and what the diversity brings to our lives—through music, through the arts—[and] that we all love, that we all have the same fears, and we all have the same intentions: we want good education for our children; we want health care; we want to be heard.”
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McFarland, USA sigue a Jim White (Kevin Costner) en su nuevo papel como entrenador de carreras en una escuela secundaria predominantemente latina en el sur de California. Mientras el entrenador y los niños aprenden unos de otros, el equipo se vuelve más y más fuerte, compitiendo por el campeonato estatal. (PG, 2h 9min.)
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FREE, Reservations required. Reserve online or via the Box Office, Tuesday through Saturday, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., 413-528-0100.
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McFarland, USA follows Jim White (Kevin Costner) in his new role as a running coach at a predominantly Latino high school in Southern California. While the coach and boys learn about each other, the team gets stronger and stronger, contending for the state championship. (PG, 2h 9min.)
