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CALA Alliance

Phoenix, AZ · EIN 272537368 · Form 990 · FY2021 · NTEE A20 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · www.calaalliance.org
revenue
$750K
expenses
$358K
net assets
$573K
employees
3
volunteers
5
program ratio
73%
mission · from form 990

CALA Alliance is a multidisciplinary arts organization based in Phoenix that collaborates with artists and arts organizations to connect Arizona, Mexico, and Latin America. We advance our mission through innovative public programming, artist commissions, international residencies, and cultural exchanges that reimagine Arizona's place in the Americas.

profile · synthesized from sources

CALA Alliance is a Latinx arts organization based in Arizona that collaborates with artists and arts organizations to nurture artistic talent, particularly from the Latin American diaspora. They focus on innovative artist residencies, commissions, community workshops, and public programming to promote Latinx art, including Indigenous, Afro-Latinx, and Queer histories.

named programs · 3 · from sources

what they call their work

CALA Presenta
Organizes public programs and community engagements with local, national, and international artists.
Crossfade LAB
Event series presenting intimate conversations on art, identity, and social justice with Latinx and Latin American artists.
smART
Hands-on workshop series for emerging and mid-career artists to build financial literacy and business skills.
activities · 11 groups

what they do

  • Community Art Exhibitions & Festivals 5 activities
    • Artist Exchange Programs
      Organizes exchange programs connecting artists from various locations, including Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, to Arizona.
    • Artist Exchange Programs
      Organizes exchange programs connecting artists from various locations, including Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, to Arizona.
    • Artist Exchange Programs
      Organizes exchange programs connecting artists from various locations, including Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, to Arizona, fostering cross-cultural artistic collaboration.
    • Artist Reflective Gatherings
      Organizes reflective gatherings for artists to share experiences, lessons learned, and set goals, fostering connection and community.
    • Artist Reflective Gatherings
      Organizes reflective gatherings for artists to share experiences, lessons learned, and set goals, fostering connection and community.
  • Environmental Justice Advocacy Campaigns 5 activities
    • Arts and Science-Based Campaigns
      Leads arts and science-based campaigns, such as "Agua Es Vida," blending storytelling, research, and community engagement to raise awareness about social issues like water conservation in Latino communities.
    • Arts and Science-Based Campaigns
      Leads arts and science-based campaigns like "Agua Es Vida," blending storytelling, research, and community engagement to raise awareness about issues such as water conservation in Latino communities.
    • Arts and Science-Based Community Campaigns
      Leads arts and science-based campaigns, such as "Agua Es Vida," blending storytelling, research, and community engagement to raise awareness about social and environmental issues in Latino communities.
    • Arts and Science-Based Community Campaigns
      Leads arts and science-based campaigns, such as "Agua Es Vida," blending storytelling, research, and community engagement to raise awareness about issues like water conservation in Latino communities.
    • Arts and Science-Based Community Campaigns
      Leads arts and science-based campaigns, such as "Agua Es Vida," blending storytelling, research, and community engagement to raise awareness about issues like water conservation in Latino communities.
  • Artist-Centered Educational Workshops 5 activities
    • Community-Based Arts Education
      Runs "How I Became an Artista," a community-based educational program that introduces community members in the Metro-Phoenix area to the life and work of Latinx and Latin American artists through virtual workshops and hands-on activities like literazine creation.
    • Community-Based Arts Education Program ("How I Became an Artista")
      Runs "How I Became an Artista," a community-based educational program in the Metro-Phoenix area that introduces community members to the life and work of Latinx and Latin American artists through virtual workshops and other engagements.
    • Community-Based Arts Education Program ("How I Became an Artista")
      Runs "How I Became an Artista," a community-based educational program that introduces community members in the Metro-Phoenix area to the life and work of Latinx and Latin American artists through virtual workshops and other engagements.
    • Community-Based Arts Education Program ("How I Became an Artista")
      Runs "How I Became an Artista," a community-based educational program in the Metro-Phoenix area that introduces community members to the life and work of Latinx and Latin American artists through virtual workshops and other engagements.
    • Community-Based Educational Programs
      Operates "How I Became an Artista," a community-based educational program that introduces community members in the Metro-Phoenix area to Latinx and Latin American artists, and organizes "CALA Presenta" programs featuring local, national, and international artists.
  • Seed Grants for Research and Community Arts 5 activities
    • Research Grants
      Awards research grants to mobilize arts programming, such as a $1,500 grant to support arts programming in West Phoenix.
    • Research Grants for Arts Programming
      Awards research grants to mobilize arts programming, such as a $1,500 grant to support arts programming in West Phoenix.
    • Research Grants for Arts Programming
      Awards research grants to mobilize arts programming, such as a $1,500 grant to support arts programming in West Phoenix.
    • Research Grants for Arts Programming
      Awards research grants to mobilize arts programming in specific areas, such as West Phoenix.
    • Research and Grants
      Awards research grants to mobilize arts programming in specific communities, such as a $1,500 grant to support arts programming in West Phoenix.
  • Online Art Gallery & Artist Support Services 4 activities
    • Artist Photography Services
      Offers professional photography services for artists, including works and individual portraits, along with guidance on presenting their work visually.
    • Artist Photography Services
      Offers professional photography services for artists, including 2-3 works and individual portraits, along with guidance on presenting their work visually.
    • Artist Photography Services
      Offers professional photography services for artists, including works and individual portraits, along with guidance on presenting their work visually.
    • Artist Support Services
      Offers professional photography services for artists, including individual portraits and guidance on visual presentation, and organizes reflective gatherings for artists to share experiences and foster community.
  • Visual Arts Professional Development 4 activities
    • Artist Professional Development Workshops ("smART")
      Offers "smART," a hands-on workshop series for emerging and mid-career artists that provides guidance on practical career skills such as artist statements, portfolio development, website creation, budgeting, grant-writing, and financial literacy.
    • Artist Professional Development Workshops ("smART")
      Offers "smART," a hands-on workshop series for emerging and mid-career artists that provides guidance on practical career skills such as artist statements, portfolio development, website creation, budgeting, grant-writing, and financial literacy.
    • Artist Professional Development Workshops (smART)
      Offers "smART," a hands-on workshop series for emerging and mid-career artists to build financial literacy and business skills, covering topics such as artist statements, portfolio development, website creation, budgeting, and grant-writing.
    • Capacity Building Workshops
      Offers "smART," a hands-on workshop series for emerging and mid-career artists that provides guidance on practical career skills such as artist statements, portfolio development, website creation, budgeting, and grant-writing.
  • Cultural Heritage Festivals & Celebrations 4 activities
    • Culinary Arts and Cultural Celebrations ("Sabor")
      Organizes "Sabor" events, celebrating the flavors and culinary traditions of various regions, including Baja California, Puerto Rico, Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Oaxaca, often in collaboration with chefs.
    • Sabor Culinary Events
      Organizes "Sabor" culinary events that celebrate the flavors of various regions, including Baja California, Puerto Rico, Mexico City, and Oaxaca, Mexico, often in collaboration with renowned chefs.
    • Sabor Culinary and Cultural Celebrations
      Organizes "Sabor" events, celebrating the flavors and culinary traditions of various regions, including Baja California, Puerto Rico, Oaxaca, and Mexico City, often in collaboration with chefs.
    • Sabor Culinary and Cultural Celebrations
      Organizes "Sabor" events, collaborating with chefs to celebrate the flavors and culinary traditions of various regions, including Baja California, Puerto Rico, Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Oaxaca.
  • Artist Talks and Cultural Dialogues 2 activities
    • Art Talks and Discussions
      Hosts "Art Talk" events, including dinners and discussions with artists and community members, to honor individuals and discuss topics such as cuisine, traditions, legacy, innovation, artistic responses to migration, and displacement.
    • Artist-Focused Discussions and Gatherings
      Hosts "Art Talk" events, including dinners and discussions with artists and community members to honor culinary figures and discuss topics like artistic responses to migration, immigration, and displacement, and organizes reflective gatherings for artists to share experiences and set goals.
  • Therapeutic & Community Art Workshops 2 activities
    • Artistic Workshops
      Offers virtual workshops titled "How I Became an Artista" to engage participants in artistic practice, and hosts literazine workshops that explore memory, sound, and personal archives through collective writing and visual storytelling.
    • Literazine Workshops
      Hosts literazine workshops where participants explore memory, sound, and personal archives through collective writing, collage, and visual storytelling, resulting in a handmade zine.
  • Live Music Festival & Concert Production 1 activity
    • Cross-Cultural Collaborations
      Offers new cross-cultural collaborations across music, word, and gastronomy.
  • Uncategorized 20 activities
    • Artist Residency Program
      Operates a residency program that supports Latinx artistic talent in the United States by providing resources for artists to create new work, including three annual residencies for regional, national, and exchange artists.
    • Artistic Collaborations and Events
      Hosts an event series featuring conversations on art, identity, and social justice with Latinx and Latin American artists, and organizes culinary celebrations that highlight the flavors of various Latin American regions.
    • Artistic Residencies
      Organizes three artistic residencies annually, supporting Latinx artistic talent in the United States by providing resources for artists to create new work, including an exchange program connecting artists from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and Puerto Rico to Arizona.
    • Collaborative Artistic Interpretations
      Develops collaborative artistic projects, such as "Carving Pathways" and "Del Mismo Aire," that transform concepts into movement, sound, and narrative, often addressing social themes.
    • Collaborative Artistic Interpretations
      Develops collaborative artistic projects, such as "Carving Pathways" and "Del Mismo Aire," that interpret themes like water connection and queer voices through movement, sound, and narrative.
    • Collaborative Artistic Interpretations
      Develops collaborative artistic projects, such as "Carving Pathways" and "Del Mismo Aire," that transform concepts like water's essence or social issues into movement, sound, and narrative.
    • Collaborative Artistic Interpretations
      Develops collaborative artistic projects, such as "Carving Pathways" which transforms water's essence into movement, sound, and narrative, and "Del Mismo Aire," a performance using an accordion to symbolize the silence of queer voices.
    • Collaborative Artistic Productions
      Develops and collaborates on artistic productions that explore various themes, such as "Carving Pathways" which interprets the essence of water through movement and sound, and "Del Mismo Aire" which uses performance to symbolize the silencing of queer voices.
    • Crossfade LAB Program
      Runs the "Crossfade LAB" program, featuring collaborations between various artists.
    • Crossfade LAB Program
      Runs the "Crossfade LAB" program, featuring collaborations between various artists, such as Guadalupe Maravilla and Alex Anwandter, and Teresita Fernández and San Cha.
    • Crossfade LAB Program
      Runs the "Crossfade LAB" program, an event series featuring collaborations between artists, such as Guadalupe Maravilla and Alex Anwandter, and Teresita Fernández and San Cha.
    • Crossfade LAB Program
      Runs the "Crossfade LAB" program, featuring collaborations between artists such as Guadalupe Maravilla and Alex Anwandter, and Teresita Fernández and San Cha.
    • Crossfade LAB Program
      Runs the "Crossfade LAB" program, featuring collaborations between various artists.
    • Latinx Artist Residency Program
      Operates a residency program that supports Latinx artistic talent in the United States by providing resources for artists to create new work, including three artistic residencies annually (one regional Arizona-based, one national by invitation, and one exchange artist).
    • Latinx Artist Residency Program
      Operates a residency program that supports Latinx artistic talent in the United States by providing resources for artists to create new work, including three artistic residencies annually (one regional Arizona-based, one national by invitation, and one exchange artist).
    • Public Art Programs and Community Engagements ("CALA Presenta")
      Organizes "CALA Presenta" programs featuring local, national, and international artists who present public programs and community engagements, including discussions on art, identity, and social justice, and showcasing artists exploring political and cultural ideas.
    • Public Art Programs and Community Engagements ("CALA Presenta")
      Organizes "CALA Presenta" programs featuring local, national, and international artists who present public programs and community engagements, including discussions on art, identity, and social justice, and showcasing artists exploring political and cultural ideas.
    • Public Art Programs and Community Engagements ("CALA Presenta")
      Organizes "CALA Presenta" programs and "CALA Presenta Charlas" featuring local, national, and international artists who present public programs, community engagements, and discussions on art, identity, and social justice.
    • Public Programs and Community Engagements ("CALA Presenta")
      Organizes "CALA Presenta" programs featuring local, national, and international artists who present public programs and community engagements, including discussions on art, identity, and social justice, and "Charlas" featuring various artists.
    • Public Programs and Community Engagements (CALA Presenta)
      Organizes "CALA Presenta" programs and "CALA Presenta Charlas" featuring local, national, and international artists who present public programs, community engagements, and discussions on art, identity, and social justice.
financials · form 990 · fy2021
revenue
Total revenue$750K
Contributions & grants$642K86%
Program service revenue$4K1%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$104K
expenses
Total expenses$358K
Program expenses73%
Admin / overhead12%
Fundraising15%
Salaries & benefits$154K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$585K
Cash$531K
Investments$0
Liabilities$12K
Net assets$573K
Liquid reserves17.8 mo
2 years on record · 2020–2021 · YoY revenue +242.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2021

who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
Alana Hernandez Executive Director 50 $62K
board members · 9
  • Camila Alarcon — Director
  • Gaby Cardenas — Director
  • Jose Cardenas — Secretary
  • Laura Franco French — Director
  • Margie Emmermann — Director
  • Maria Camila Englert — Director
  • Mariko Miller — Director
  • Myra Millinger — Treasurer
  • Ruben Alvarez — Chairman
relationships · 42

who they work with

  • AAA Funder — Supporter of CALA Alliance
  • APS Funder — Supporter of CALA Alliance
  • ASU Art Museum Partner — Partnered to organize the Guadalajara exchange program.
  • ASU Art Museum Partner — Strengthened partnership with CALA Alliance, including new curatorial appointments.
  • Anna Flores Partner — Artist who led a Literazine workshop in collaboration with CALA Alliance.
  • Annie Lopez Partner — Artist who led a cyanotype workshop in collaboration with CALA Alliance.
  • Arizona Commission on the Arts Funder — Supporter of CALA Alliance
  • Arizona Commission on the Arts Partner — Staff from Arizona Commission on the Arts facilitate workshops on grant writing and budget planning.
  • Arizona Humanities Funder — Supporter of CALA Alliance
  • Arizona Public Service Funder — Supporter of CALA Alliance
  • Arizona State University Partner — Supporter of CALA Alliance
  • Chicanos Por la Causa Funder — Supporter of CALA Alliance
  • Diana Calderón Partner — Artist who led a grief and art workshop in collaboration with CALA Alliance.
  • El Laboratorio Partner — Partnered on the "Carving Pathways /// Agua Es Vida" initiative.
  • Gammage & Burnham PLC Funder — Supporter of CALA Alliance
  • Google Funder — Supporter of CALA Alliance
  • J. W. Kieckhefer Foundation Funder — Supporter of CALA Alliance
  • Jazmin Herrada Partner — Artist who led a portrait workshop in collaboration with CALA Alliance.
  • Luis Rivera Jimenez Partner — Artist who led a mental map making workshop in collaboration with CALA Alliance.
  • Margaret T. Morris Foundation Funder — Supporter of CALA Alliance
  • Molera Alvarez Funder — Supporter of CALA Alliance
  • National Endowment for the Arts Funder — Supporter of CALA Alliance
  • Oscar de las Salas & Gary Jackson Philanthropy Funder — Supporter of CALA Alliance
  • Oxy Studios Partner — Anthony Ferrara, who leads Oxy Studios, facilitates workshops on creating professional websites for artists.
  • PAOS GDL Partner — Partnered to organize the Guadalajara exchange program.
  • Phoenix Art Museum Partner — Christian Ramírez, Cohn Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art and Director of Engagement at Phoenix Art Museum, is a facilitator for the smART workshop series.
  • Phoenix Art Museum Partner — Collaborated on "Amplified Vol. 4" for the "Del Mismo Aire" performance.
  • Phoenix Art Museum Partner — Hosted a discussion on artistic responses to migration, immigration, and displacement.
  • Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture Partner — Staff from Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture facilitate workshops on grant writing and budget planning.
  • Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture Funder — Supporter of CALA Alliance
+ 12 more